Xaira Therapeutics
Principal Scientist, Protein Engineering
$164K–$205K
South San Francisco, California, United States · Principal · Full-time · Posted Sep 28, 2026
- Experience
- At least 6 years of industry experience in biotech or biopharma R&D supporting large-molecule therapeutic programs.
- Education
- Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline.
About the job
Leads protein engineering strategy and hands-on discovery and optimization of AI-designed protein and antibody therapeutics.
What you'll do
- Set scientific strategy for therapeutic programs and partner with computational design and biology teams on AI-driven discovery campaigns.
- Lead binder discovery and optimization, including designing, producing, purifying, and characterizing proteins and antibodies.
- Lead cross-functional programs, mentor junior staff, and oversee CRO-supported work.
What they ask for
- Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline.
- At least 6 years of industry experience in biotech or biopharma R&D supporting large-molecule therapeutic programs.
- Extensive hands-on protein engineering experience, including antibody and protein characterization; deep expertise in antibody formats, production, purification, and characterization.
- Proficiency in developability assessments, stability studies, and protein visualization and structure prediction tools such as PyMOL and AlphaFold.
Nice to have
- Direct experience with structure prediction or machine learning tools for protein design.
- Experience collaborating with Process Development and supporting IND documentation.
Pay
$164,000 to $205,000 USD base salary
Tools
PyMOL, AlphaFold
AI focus
Guides AI-driven protein design campaigns and develops experimental strategies to evaluate and optimize designed therapeutic proteins and antibodies.
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative