Senior Principal Scientist

Summit Therapeutics•Palo Alto, CA

18h

About The Position

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical oncology company focused on improving quality of life, extending life where possible, and addressing serious unmet medical needs. Its team supports global Phase 3 oncology studies, including studies in non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Summit is headquartered in Miami, Florida, with additional offices in California, New Jersey, the UK, and Ireland. This is a hands-on, laboratory-based cell biology role focused on antibody screening and functional characterization in oncology and immunology. The scientist takes primary responsibility for bench work, from binding assays through immune-effector and cell-killing assays, and contributes directly to discovering, characterizing, and advancing antibody pipeline candidates. The role includes developing and running experiments, analyzing and communicating results, and supporting candidate selection and advancement. The scientist also contributes to in vivo studies as applicable, collaborates with contract research organizations and academic laboratories, and serves as a subject-matter expert on cross-functional teams. Additional duties include drafting SOPs and protocols and maintaining instruments.

Requirements

PhD plus at least 3 years of industry experience, or MS plus at least 5 years of industry experience, in cell biology, immunology, cancer biology, or a related field.
Experience characterizing multiple antibodies, including ELISA and cell-based binding assays for antibody screening.
Hands-on experience with ADCC, CDC, and ADCP assays for antibody characterization.
Experience with primary human PBMCs and isolated T cells and NK cells, including PBMC-based tumor-killing assays, T-cell and NK-cell activation assays, and Treg depletion assays.
Ability to work independently.
Strong scientific communication record across presentations, posters, and manuscripts, together with cross-functional collaboration experience.

Nice To Haves

In vivo animal experience, particularly PK/PD studies, including study design, dosing, sample collection, and analysis of exposure and pharmacodynamic readouts in mouse tumor models.
Antibody affinity measurement experience, for example SPR or BLI, and reporter-gene assays for target binding or blockade.
Publication record in immuno-oncology.
Experience with multiplex immunohistochemistry or fluorescence microscopy.
Experience in IND study reports.

Responsibilities

Perform antibody ELISA assays to assess binding, specificity, and cross-reactivity and to screen and rank candidate antibodies.
Run cell-based binding assays, typically using flow cytometry, on target-expressing tumor and immune cell lines and primary cells.
Develop, optimize, and qualify assays; analyze and summarize screening data to support candidate selection.
Run PBMC-based tumor-killing assays and co-culture systems using primary human immune cells.
Measure T-cell and NK-cell activation, including activation markers, proliferation, cytokine release, and cytotoxicity.
Evaluate regulatory T-cell (Treg) depletion and changes in immune-cell composition after antibody treatment.
Use mechanistic findings to inform indication selection, rational combinations, and biomarker development.
Design and execute ADCC, CDC, and ADCP assays to characterize candidate-antibody effector function.
Compare candidates across Fc formats, target-expression levels, and cell models to understand mechanism of action and evaluate antibody potency and safety.
Support animal studies, including PK/PD experiments, to connect in vitro activity with in vivo exposure and pharmacodynamic response.
Work with contract research organizations and academic laboratories to extend in vitro and in vivo studies.
Design and run experiments to characterize and advance candidate molecules.
Prepare in-depth analyses and executive-level summaries for internal stakeholders.
Serve as a subject-matter expert in cross-functional teams and support decision-making.
Develop conference abstracts and presentations and contribute manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication.
Perform other assigned responsibilities, including drafting SOPs and protocols and maintaining instruments.
Assess emerging technologies, scientific literature, and competitive landscapes in oncology and immunology to inform innovation and pipeline development.
Perform other duties as assigned.