Sr. Research Associate - Yeast Display

CoFactor Recruitment; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

CoFactor Recruitment is seeking a hands-on Biologist in South San Francisco to design and execute yeast display campaigns for antibody and scaffold discovery. You will build large libraries, perform FACS-based selections, and integrate NGS data with binding assays, collaborating with protein engineering and computational teams to drive design cycles and improve hit quality.

The role also involves developing workflows to boost throughput and robustness, characterizing binders with SPR/BLI/ELISA,

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Molecular Biology, Protein Engineering, Immunology, or related field with 1+ years of industry experience
• Deep hands-on experience with yeast surface display is required
• Proven track record of generating and screening libraries for binder discovery
• Experience with FACS-based sorting strategies and experimental design
• Familiarity with downstream characterization techniques (SPR, BLI, etc.)
• Experience integrating sequencing data (NGS) into selection workflows is a strong plus
• Strong understanding of protein engineering and developability considerations

Responsibilities

• Design and execute yeast display campaigns for antibody, VHH, or alternative scaffold discovery and optimization
• Build and screen large combinatorial libraries (naive, immune, or synthetic)
• Perform FACS-based selections, affinity maturation, and enrichment strategies
• Analyze binding data and sequence outputs (NGS integration strongly preferred)
• Collaborate with protein engineering and computational teams to iterate on design cycles
• Develop and optimize workflows to improve throughput, robustness, and hit quality
• Characterize binders using techniques such as SPR, BLI, ELISA, and other biophysical assays
• Mentor junior scientists and contribute to building a high-performing scientific team

Skills

Yeast display

FACS-based sorting

Library screening

NGS data analysis

Team mentorship

Education

B.S./M.S. in Molecular Biology/Protein Engineering/Immunology

Tools

SPR

BLI

ELISA

NGS data integration

Job description

• Design and execute yeast display campaigns for antibody, VHH, or alternative scaffold discovery and optimization
• Build and screen large combinatorial libraries (naive, immune, or synthetic)
• Perform FACS-based selections, affinity maturation, and enrichment strategies
• Analyze binding data and sequence outputs (NGS integration strongly preferred)
• Collaborate with protein engineering and computational teams to iterate on design cycles
• Develop and optimize workflows to improve throughput, robustness, and hit quality
• Characterize binders using techniques such as SPR, BLI, ELISA, and other biophysical assays
• Mentor junior scientists and contribute to building a high-performing scientific team

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Molecular Biology, Protein Engineering, Immunology, or related field with 1+ years of industry experience
• Deep hands-on experience with yeast surface display is required
• Proven track record of generating and screening libraries for binder discovery
• Experience with FACS-based sorting strategies and experimental design
• Familiarity with downstream characterization techniques (SPR, BLI, etc.)
• Experience integrating sequencing data (NGS) into selection workflows is a strong plus
• Strong understanding of protein engineering and developability considerations

Nice to Have

• Experience with additional display platforms (phage, mammalian, ribosome)
• Background in antibody therapeutics or difficult target classes (GPCRs, ion channels, etc.)
• Prior startup experience or comfort in fast-paced, ambiguous environments