Senior Scientist, Discovery Technologies

Flagship Pioneering, Inc. • Cambridge, MA

15h • $126,000 - $181,500

About The Position

Flagship Labs 129 (FL129) is an early-stage biotechnology startup with an ambitious and exciting mission: to develop a technology to facilitate the data generation necessary for training the next generation of generative chemistry models to unlock the future of small molecule drug discovery. FL129 is developing a revolutionary approach to this challenge and is recruiting a team of top-tier scientists to build this powerful and first-in-category platform. This is a unique opportunity to be one of the first employees of a biotech startup that combines an innovative mindset with the resources and know-how of Flagship Pioneering.

Position Summary: We are seeking a motivated and highly collaborative Senior Scientist to join FL129’s growing team of experimental and computational scientists to build a novel platform technology. The successful candidate will have strong track record of scientific and technical innovation in molecular biology and small molecule screening, including experience adapting screens to cell- or surface-displayed protein targets. Additional experience with or exposure to yeast surface display, single-cell or genomics methods, and cheminformatics are preferred. The ideal teammate will be highly adaptable, have strong organizational and communication skills, and will thrive in a highly collaborative and multidisciplinary environment.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in molecular biology, systems biology, chemical biology, or a similar field with 5+ years of industry or postdoctoral experience.
• End-to-end experience with small molecule screening from library design, including optimization of DNA tags for amplification, quantitation and sequencing, to screening, next-gen sequencing, to data analysis.
• Experience managing contract research organizations (CROs).
• Motivated team-player and independent force-of-nature with strong organizational and written/verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• cheminformatics experience
• on-DNA and off-DNA hit validation experience with DNA-encoded positive control and library compounds
• surface display technologies
• droplet-based screening and/or microfluidics
• single-cell or genomics methods
• yeast surface display
• adapting screens to cell- or surface-displayed protein targets

Responsibilities

• Technology development, aligned with FL129’s core strategic goals. This role is among the first hires, and we’re looking for someone who thinks critically and will influence the company’s scientific direction.
• Design, construction, and experimental testing of custom target/variant libraries, including binding assays against cell- or surface-displayed protein targets
• Optimize existing workflows and establish best experimental and documentation practices to enable platform excellence.
• Ensuring rapid and accurate turnaround of data to drive achievement of key project goals.
• Translate experimental data into meaningful insights and present results at team meetings.

Benefits

• Custom-tailored role to maximize impactful contributions, professional growth, and scientific interests.
• Weekly lunches
• monthly social events
• community lunchroom with free snacks, coffee
• healthcare coverage
• annual incentive program
• retirement benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree