Research Scientist, Life Sciences (Large Molecules, Antibody Design)

Anthropic•San Francisco, CA

16h•$300,000 - $320,000•Onsite

About The Position

Anthropic’s Life Sciences team is building a research group focused on biological discoveries through a combination of AI and hands-on biological research. The Research Scientist will bring deep expertise in therapeutic antibody design and engineering, with experience spanning target selection and lead optimization through candidate selection and IND-enabling studies. The role aims to connect AI-generated hypotheses with experimental results and share findings with the community. In close collaboration with AI researchers and engineers, the scientist will lead antibody programs end to end and assess AI-designed antibodies against the standards expected of real drug candidates. The role is fully on-site in the San Francisco Bay Area. The annual salary range is $300,000–$320,000 USD. Anthropic offers competitive compensation and benefits, optional equity donation matching, generous vacation and parental leave, flexible working hours, and office space for collaboration. Visa sponsorship may be available, with reasonable efforts made to support candidates who receive an offer.

Requirements

PhD in biochemistry, protein engineering, immunology, molecular biology, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience in therapeutic antibody discovery and engineering, including helping take at least one antibody from discovery through candidate selection and IND-enabling studies.
Working knowledge of antibody IND requirements across pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC).
Comfort navigating ambiguity and defining problems in a rapidly evolving research environment.
Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively across cross-functional teams, with strong written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Five or more years of therapeutic antibody experience beyond the PhD.
Track record of advancing more than one antibody program into IND-enabling studies or the clinic, with contributions to pre-IND or IND documents.
Hands-on experience with antibody expression, purification, and biophysical characterization.
Experience directing antibody production, assays, and in vivo studies at contract research organizations.
Structural biology, computational protein design, or coding skills, such as Python for sequence and assay data analysis or use of structure prediction and protein design tools.
Experience using AI or ML tools in the life sciences.
Publications and/or patents demonstrating scientific impact.

Responsibilities

Design and engineer therapeutic antibodies and oversee programs end to end, including target and epitope selection, format selection (IgG, Fab, scFv, VHH, or bispecific), humanization, affinity maturation, Fc engineering, and candidate selection.
Define program screening cascades covering binding kinetics (SPR, BLI), epitope binning, species cross-reactivity, cell-based functional assays, and developability measures such as expression, aggregation, polyreactivity, stability, viscosity, and immunogenicity risk.
Plan the path from lead to IND-enabling studies, including in vivo pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and handoff to process development and manufacturing.
Coordinate antibody production, characterization, and in vitro and in vivo studies with external contract research organizations and academic partners.
Evaluate AI-designed antibodies, advance them to experimental readout, and provide results to research teams.
Ensure experimental data across programs is high quality and well documented, including sequences, protocols, raw data, and failure modes.
Communicate findings clearly to biology, AI research, and life sciences audiences.