NewLimit
Principal/Senior Scientist, mRNA Engineering
$170K–$200K
South San Francisco +1 · Principal · Full-time · Posted Apr 22, 2026
- Location
- South San Francisco
South San Francisco, California, United States - Experience
- 5+ years of equivalent industry experience is stated as an alternative to the PhD requirement; no separate years-of-experience requirement is stated.
- Education
- PhD in molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
About the job
Leads mRNA process development and engineering, from research-scale production through external GMP manufacturing, and builds the mRNA Process Sciences team.
What you'll do
- Establish and optimize IVT and downstream purification workflows, including research-grade mRNA production.
- Manage process development, tech transfer, and scale-up at external CDMOs for GLP and GMP production.
- Partner with analytical teams to formalize drug substance methods and build the Process Sciences team.
What they ask for
- PhD in molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience (5+ years).
- Hands-on experience optimizing IVT and scaling mRNA production beyond 10 mL; chromatography purification on AKTA systems; and UFDF/TFF.
- Experience managing external CDMOs through process development and GMP manufacturing.
- Ability to perform and interpret basic mRNA analytical assays, analyze quantitative process data, and write technical reports and protocols.
Nice to have
- SME-level understanding of mRNA sequence design and manufacturability assessments.
- Experience with plasmid design, bacterial fermentation scale-up and DNA template purification; regulatory submissions (IMPD-Q); or mentoring scientists.
Pay
USD $170,000 to $200,000 base salary
Tools
IVT, oligo-dT, AKTA, UFDF/TFF, Fragment Analyzer/TapeStation, IP-RP-HPLC
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative