Associate Director Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• Ph.D. in biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, protein science, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related discipline, with relevant postdoctoral or industry experience; equivalent experience may be considered.
• At least 10 years of relevant experience in protein expression, purification, and characterization in an academic, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or related research environment.
• Demonstrated expertise expressing and purifying multiple challenging protein classes, including membrane proteins, intracellular proteins, receptor fusions, and other multidomain, unstable, aggregation-prone, or difficult-to-purify proteins.
• Hands-on experience with multiple expression systems, including cell-free protein-expression systems and at least two additional heterologous or eukaryotic platforms.
• Strong practical knowledge of protein purification development, optimization, troubleshooting, and scale-up considerations.
• Proficiency in protein characterization using several listed methods, with demonstrated strength in SPR, intact-mass spectrometry, top-down mass spectrometry, bottom-up mass spectrometry, SEC-MALS, size-exclusion and related chromatography, thermal-shift or differential scanning fluorimetry, dynamic light scattering or related particle-sizing methods, and orthogonal purity, identity, and stability assays.
• Experience interpreting complex analytical data and integrating results across complementary techniques.
• Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, and developing a team of five or more individuals.
• Strong scientific communication skills, including presenting technical findings and recommendations to expert and non-expert audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, make sound technical decisions, and deliver results in a collaborative, deadline-driven environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting structure-based drug discovery, biologics discovery, protein therapeutics, or other translational research programs.
• Experience with membrane-protein stabilization, detergent and lipid screening, nanodisc or other reconstitution approaches, or receptor-complex assembly.
• Familiarity with construct engineering, protein-design approaches, and sequence- or structure-informed optimization.
• Experience establishing new protein-science capabilities, analytical workflows, or laboratory infrastructure.
• Experience with automation, high-throughput experimentation, or data-driven optimization of expression and purification processes.
• Record of scientific publications, patents, conference presentations, or other contributions demonstrating expertise in protein sciences.

Responsibilities

• Lead protein-science strategies for membrane proteins, intracellular proteins, receptor fusions, and other complex or challenging targets.
• Design and optimize expression and purification workflows across mammalian, insect, bacterial, yeast, and cell-free expression systems.
• Develop scalable approaches for proteins with low expression, poor solubility, instability, aggregation, proteolytic sensitivity, or challenging post-translational requirements.
• Guide construct design, tag selection, buffer optimization, detergent and lipid screening, stabilization strategies, and formulation development.
• Establish and implement robust purification workflows, including affinity, ion-exchange, hydrophobic-interaction, size-exclusion, and other appropriate chromatographic methods.
• Plan and interpret characterization studies assessing identity, purity, homogeneity, oligomeric state, folding, stability, and functional integrity.
• Apply and oversee advanced analytical techniques, including SPR, intact-mass spectrometry, top-down and bottom-up mass spectrometry, SEC-MALS, and other relevant biophysical and biochemical methods.
• Define analytical strategies for difficult-to-purify proteins and make evidence-based recommendations on construct, process, and assay selection.
• Troubleshoot complex expression, purification, and characterization problems and communicate recommendations to project teams and leadership.
• Lead or contribute to technical strategy, experimental planning, data review, milestone planning, and scientific decision-making across multidisciplinary teams.
• Build partnerships with structural biology, biophysics, biochemistry, assay development, analytical sciences, and project or program leadership groups.
• Recruit, mentor, coach, and develop protein-science scientists and research associates.
• Lead a team of at least five individuals, setting clear priorities, fostering accountability, and creating an inclusive, collaborative, and scientifically rigorous environment.
• Maintain standards for data quality, documentation, scientific integrity, laboratory safety, and relevant regulatory or quality expectations.
• Represent protein sciences in internal meetings, project reviews, external collaborations, and scientific discussions with senior stakeholders.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Paid time off (PTO)
• Retirement contributions
• Other perquisites
• Potential eligibility for sales or performance-based bonuses