Scientist – Antibody Screening and Characterization

JLSa2 Therapeutics•South San Francisco, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a talented and driven Scientist – Antibody Screening and Characterization to support discovery and early development of therapeutic antibodies. The successful candidate will be responsible for screening antibody libraries, characterizing binding and functional properties, and advancing lead candidates through early-stage evaluation. This role requires strong expertise in immunology, protein biochemistry, and cell-based assays, along with the ability to work collaboratively within cross-functional drug discovery teams.

Requirements

PhD in Immunology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or related field with 2–5 years industry experience OR MS with 4–8 years relevant industry experience
Hands-on experience in antibody screening platforms.
Strong background in protein–protein interaction assays (SPR, BLI preferred).
Experience in mammalian cell culture and functional assays.
Familiarity with antibody structure and engineering concepts.
Experience with data analysis software (e.g., GraphPad Prism).
Strong experimental design and troubleshooting skills
Data-driven and detail-oriented
Excellent written and verbal communication
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Team-oriented with collaborative mindset

Nice To Haves

Experience with multi-specific antibodies or engineered antibody formats.
Knowledge of Fc biology and effector function assays.
Experience with high-throughput screening platforms.
Familiarity with early-stage developability assessments.

Responsibilities

Perform high-throughput screening of antibody libraries (hybridoma, phage display, yeast display, or single B-cell platforms).
Identify hits based on binding affinity, specificity, and functional activity.
Conduct epitope binning and competition studies.
Prioritize candidates for downstream characterization and engineering.
Evaluate antibody–antigen interactions using: Surface plasmon resonance (SPR), Bio-layer interferometry (BLI), ELISA, Flow cytometry.
Determine kinetic parameters (KD, kon, koff).
Assess cross-reactivity and species reactivity.
Characterize aggregation, stability, and purity profiles.
Work with the Cell Bioassay group to design and execute cell-based assays to evaluate: Target engagement, Agonist/antagonist activity, ADCC/CDC (if applicable), Signaling pathway modulation.
Support mechanism-of-action studies.
Analyze and interpret experimental data using appropriate statistical methods.
Present findings at project team meetings.
Maintain thorough documentation in electronic lab notebooks.
Contribute to technical reports and patent applications (as applicable).
Work closely with: Protein Engineering, Cell Biology, Translational Sciences, In Vivo Pharmacology, Developability/CMC teams.
Optimize assay conditions, troubleshoot experimental challenges, and improve workflows, with the goal of supporting candidate selection and progression decisions.