(Senior) Associate Scientist, Protein Engineering

About the Company: Tentarix Biotherapeutics is an exciting company with a game-changing technology platform that allows for the discovery of next generation, multi-specific investigational drugs to address the key limitations of existing cancer, autoimmune and other disease therapies.

We are led by a seasoned executive team with proven expertise in the field of multi-specific drug discovery. We are committed to hiring and retaining highly qualified and motivated team members who are passionate about making a difference for patients in the modern drug discovery landscape with our ground-breaking technology.

Tentarix team members are creative, hands-on, self-directed, and display excellent communication skills. They also exhibit a high level of integrity, resiliency and a determination to contribute to the success of the company. We offer autonomy, flexibility, a modern culture and the best tools to ensure the success of our individuals and collectively.

Role

The (Senior) Associate Scientist will be primarily responsible for molecular biology design, plasmid construction and characterization, as well as biochemical screening of Tentarix’s biologics. Additionally, this person will support transient mammalian protein expression at small scale, binder discovery, and engineering by phage display.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for leading molecular biology design and construction of complex and multi-domain protein therapeutics including plasmid sequencing, characterization, and scale-up
• Maintain meticulous research records
• Support mammalian expression platform and the production of therapeutic proteins for screening
• Screen for binding/epitope properties of hits from discovery campaigns to various protein targets by BLI and ELISA
• Independently plan and execute experiments, analyze results, and present data at team meetings
• Design multi-chain expression cassettes for enhanced transient expression and stable expression in mammalian cells including biological cell lines for activity characterization
• Collect and analyze sequencing data from cloned plasmid variants and phage display libraries using NGS and/or Sanger sequencing
• Design and generate phage display libraries for de novo discovery and affinity maturation (previous phage display experience not required)

Qualifications And Skills

• B.S., plus 6 or more years or M.S plus 4 or more years of industry experience in molecular biology and recombinant protein design and expression
• Prior experience with protein design including antibody and Fc-fusion proteins as well as plasmid systems for transient and stable mammalian expression
• Technical experience in the development and execution of ELISAs, BLI, and other methods for protein quantification and binding characterization
• Thrive in a cross functional team environment
• Experience with plasmid cloning methodologies for both transient and stable mammalian expression of multi-chain constructs, including Gibson/In-fusion, Golden Gate assembly, and restriction enzyme digests/ligations
• Goal oriented, organized, strong multi-tasking skills
• Additional experience in the following areas is desired but not required: practical experience using phage display for antibody discovery, practical knowledge and experience in antibody engineering, proficiency in protein structural analysis using PyMol or related applications, experience with Phage Display DNA library design and construction for naïve libraries and affinity maturation, proficiency in interpreting and presenting data collected from NGS, Sanger Sequencing, BLI, ELISA, and Flow Cytometry
• Experience with transient transfection and CHO/HEK293 suspension cell culture is desired

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience, training, licensure, certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. At Tentarix, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $85,000 - $130,000.

Our employees are the Company’s most valuable asset, so we offer attractive compensation and benefits packages to retain the best in the field. Tentarix is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status.

Tentarix Biotherapeutics, Inc. also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. We are an E-Verify employer.