About the Role

As a member of the Protein Biochemistry team, you will play a critical, lab-based role in the discovery and development of next-generation antibody therapeutics. You will be responsible for designing, producing, and characterizing antibodies, with an emphasis on engineering and evaluating their drug-like properties. The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise in antibody engineering, a strong understanding of biophysical developability metrics, and a collaborative mindset essential for working with AI design, screening, and disease biology teams. This is a hands-on, on-site position.

Responsibilities:

• Conceptualize, plan, and execute antibody engineering projects, including antibody format optimization, epitope selection, affinity tuning, and Fc engineering.
• Design expression constructs for antibodies with designed binders.
• Express, purify, and characterize antibodies and proteins using chromatographic techniques and biophysical/biochemical assays.
• Apply state-of-the-art analytical and biophysical methods to assess the developability of antibody-based therapeutics (e.g., stability, aggregation, immunogenicity).
• Collaborate closely with Binder Design, Hit Discovery, In Vitro Pharmacology, and Disease Biology teams to advance programs toward clinical development.
• Support additional workflows as needed, including binder discovery and functional assay execution.
• Present data to internal and cross-functional teams; serve as the antibody engineering representative on core project teams.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and well-documented experiment records in an electronic lab notebook (ELN).
• Ensure compliance with laboratory safety protocols; contribute to lab organization and operational efficiency.
• Contribute to the preparation of technical reports, regulatory documentation, and scientific presentations.
• Stay current on advancements in antibody engineering, protein design, and relevant disease biology.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline, with a strong foundation in molecular biology, biochemistry, structural biology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of post-academic experience in a biotech or biopharma R&D environment.
• Extensive hands-on experience in protein science, including the structural and functional characterization of antibodies and proteins using state-of-the-art analytical methods.
• Deep expertise in antibody design (including monoclonals, bispecifics, and antibody fragments), purification (affinity, ion exchange, HIC, SEC), and characterization.
• Demonstrated proficiency in antibody interaction assays (e.g., SPR, BLI), chromatographic techniques, developability assessments (e.g., thermal stability, aggregation, polyspecificity), and stability studies (e.g., forced degradation, DSC).
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Proactive, self-starter mindset with excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting capabilities.
• Enthusiasm for working in a fast-paced, collaborative startup environment.
• Demonstrated ability to foster cooperation and knowledge sharing across multidisciplinary teams.

Compensation

Annual

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, seeking to provide an open, flexible, and friendly work environment to empower employees and provide them with a platform to develop their long-term careers. A Summary of Benefits is available for all applicants. We offer a competitive package that includes base salary, bonus, and equity.  The base pay range for this position is expected to be $155,000 - $175,000 annually; however, the base pay offered may vary depending on the market, job-related knowledge, skills and capabilities, and experience.

Xaira Therapeutics an equal-opportunity employer. We believe that our strength is in our differences. Our goal to build a diverse and inclusive team began on day one, and it will never end.

TO ALL RECRUITMENT AGENCIES: Xaira Therapeutics does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias or employees. Xaira Therapeutics is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.