Scientist II - Protein Engineering

Scientist II - Protein Engineering 

Vancouver, WA

As a core member of Absci’s Protein Engineering and Structural Biology group within Drug Creation, you will be pivotal in working with the Drug Creation and AI teams to engineer and optimize the binding, function, and developability of antibodies and multispecific proteins. You will design and implement strategies to enhance therapeutic candidate stability, binding, function, and manufacturability. Collaborating closely with the AI, Drug Creation, and Protein Science teams, you will contribute to advancing Absci's platform for binder discovery, protein engineering, and protein production.

Responsibilities: 

• Support efforts to develop and optimize platforms for mAb and multispecific therapeutic design and production.
• Perform antigen/antibody structural analyses to recommend residue-level changes that improve interaction stability, specificity, and manufacturability.
• Design and implement binding and biophysical assays to assess mutation impacts on protein structure and function.
• Coordinate closely with Process Development and Analytical Development teams to ensure high-quality protein expression, purification, and biophysical characterization of complex biologics and antigens.
• Lead cross-functional programs and act as a Protein Engineering representative, deliver on engineering goals, help organize cross-functional experiments, and ensure alignment on objectives, timelines, and resources across different teams.
• Regularly summarize and present data to internal and external stakeholders to support informed decision-making to advance programs.

Qualifications:

Scientist II

• PhD in Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Protein Biophysics, or a related field with 2-5 years of relevant experience, or MSc with 4+ years of protein engineering experience, ideally focusing on multispecific therapeutics.
• Experience in protein structure-function analyses, computational modeling (e.g., Schrodinger, MOE, Rosetta), and lab-based protein engineering.
• Proven ability to apply structural insights to improve therapeutic properties, including binding affinity, function, and developability.
• Laboratory experience in protein expression, purification, and quality assessment.
• Familiarity with biophysical characterization techniques (e.g., analytical SEC, DSF, DLS) and binding and interaction analyses (e.g., BLI, SPR).
• Demonstrated success in cross-functional program leadership, especially in high-paced environments, with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated alignment with Absci's core values, including a passion for innovation, belief and desire to work as one team to achieve our mission, and a commitment to excellence.
• Salary range for this position is $115,000 - 140,000/year

Senior Scientist applications will also be considered with the additional qualifications:

• PhD in Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Protein Biophysics, or a related field with 5+ years of relevant experience
• Proven experience using scientific, technical, and functional knowledge to assist in experiment/ project design to enable the team to meet protein engineering goals.
• Ability to explain complex scientific and technical concepts and influence others to adopt a different point of view. 
• Proven experience providing training on innovative methods and procedures to junior scientists
• Salary range for this position is $127,000 - 165,000/year.

Competitive equity package applies. Pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition to equity, compensation packages include a wide range of medical, dental, vision benefits and ability to participate in our employee stock purchase plan.