What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Scientist – Protein Sciences, Antibody Discovery, and Engineering position at Valora Therapeutics, Inc.?
ABOUT VALORA THERAPEUTICS INC.:
Valora Therapeutics Inc. (Valora) is a pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California, USA, pioneering a new biologic platform invented by Nobel Laureate Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi (Stanford). Our proprietary platform technology enables the engineering of multispecific chimeric antibodies to unlock new mechanisms of immune signaling and activity, paving the way for transformative therapies in oncology, immune diseases, and beyond.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY:
Valora is seeking highly motivated and experienced Protein Scientist/Engineer to play a key role in developing next-generation antibody therapeutics. This is a hands-on role within a fast-paced, innovative biotech environment, offering significant opportunities for professional growth as the company evolves.
This role offers the opportunity to:
· Contribute to Protein Engineering & Biophysics: Support the advancement of our proprietary chimeric bispecific antibody platform through innovative research.
· Develop Therapeutics: Design and engineer novel chimeric antibodies to support our technology platform.
· Optimize Protein Production: Assist in developing and refining methods for protein expression and purification.
· Characterize Antibodies: Conduct analytical and biophysical assessments to evaluate antibody quality and functionality.
· Collaborate on Research: Work with R&D teams to assess pharmacological properties of engineered antibodies.
· Support Translational Efforts: Contribute to IND-enabling studies and intellectual property development.
· Mentor and Collaborate: Share expertise with junior team members and partner with external collaborators to accelerate discovery.
ABOUT YOU:
- Experience: You hold a Ph.D. with 8 years of experience or an M.S. with 12 years of experience in antibody discovery, protein engineering, or related fields within academia and the biopharmaceutical industry. Experience supporting therapeutic programs from discovery to the clinic is a plus.
· Subject Matter Expertise: You have solid knowledge of antibody discovery and engineering, with familiarity in oncology and immunology. You stay informed about current trends and technologies in the field.
- Technical Proficiency: You have hands-on experience in these areas:
- Antibody Expression, Purification, Characterization:
§ Expression: DNA manipulation and molecular cloning. Transient mammalian expression and protein purification. Knowledge of protein structure-function relationships and tools for protein modification and expression.
§ Purification: Experience in purifying recombinant proteins to high homogeneity for immunization purposes. Techniques like chromatography and affinity purification are essential (e.g. affinity, IEX, HIC, SEC).
§ Characterization: Experience in protein characterization and QC (analytical SEC, CE-SDS, SDS-PAGE, Western Blotting, endotoxin assays) including biophysical techniques (SPR, Octet, ITC, CD, SEC-MALS).
- Antibody Discovery:
§ Phage display, hybridoma technology, or single-domain antibody (e.g., scFv) selection.
§ High-throughput screening (HTS) platforms for identifying antibodies with optimal affinity and specificity.
§ Designing and expressing recombinant proteins as antigens, leveraging protein structure-function insights.
§ Computational tools for in silico antigen selection and prioritization.
- Bonus Skills:
§ Bioinformatics tools for sequence analysis and protein modeling.
§ Antibody optimization techniques (e.g., affinity maturation, bispecific antibodies, ADCs).
§ Computational tools for in silico antigen selection and prioritization.
§ Antibody optimization techniques (e.g., affinity maturation, bispecific antibodies, ADCs).
· You are a passionate innovator: thrive in a fast-paced environment and are driven by scientific breakthroughs. Demonstrate ability to work independently, effectively plan and organize execution to meet project deadlines.
- You are independent but extensively collaborative: Proactively take actions and effectively share research findings and work well with cross-functional teams.
WE OFFER:
- The opportunity to be at the forefront of groundbreaking antibody therapeutics.
- A collaborative and supportive team environment with a highly dynamic and entrepreneurial environment.
COMPENSATION:
In addition to a competitive compensation package with stock options, the company also offers a comprehensive benefits package for our employees and their families, which includes medical, dental, vision, and supplemental disability insurance.
BENEFITS:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
- Year-end shutdown
Salary : $145,000 - $165,000
