Research Associate/Scientist, Immunogenicity

About the Role

You are an accomplished immunologist, preferably with direct experience investigating immunogenicity of biologics and/or vaccines. You will be involved in investigations into the fundamental biology governing immunogenicity, developing novel assays, and supporting immunogenicity risk assessment and mitigation for pipeline programs. You will be responsible for leading the development and execution of assays while actively participating in a variety of interdisciplinary collaborations with machine learning, bioinformatics, and proteomics colleagues. This will be an exciting opportunity for you to contribute in building a new team while exploring and applying novel biological insights.

About You

You have a strong background in immunology, experience with human immune cell isolation/derivation and culture, and proficiency with immune assay readouts/instrumentation, that include: flow cytometry, cytokine, ELISpot, etc. You have experience with identifying key gaps in knowledge, project conception, strategic planning, timeline management and contributing to cross-functional, interdisciplinary teams. You will collaborate within your research group and with a variety of stakeholders across the organization. As a part of the team, you will provide strategic direction and vision, while effectively communicating horizontally across disciplines and vertically from junior researchers to company wide meetings. You have a demonstrated domain expertise for antigen presenting cell, T cell and/or B cell biology as they relate to adaptive immune responses.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, troubleshoot, and execute various immunogenicity risk assessment assays, including pre-existing anti drug antibody (ADA) assays and/or primary human immune cell assays involving the induction of monocyte derived dendritic cells, activation of T cells and/or evaluation of B cell responses.
• Standardize and scale assays using both semi and fully automated approaches.
• Liaise with target evaluation and pipeline program teams to provide immunogenicity risk assessment and mitigation support.
• Data analysis, QC and management to enable decision making and machine learning approaches.
• Develop forward looking strategies to identify and implement novel assays, measurements, and technologies that increase throughput, quality, and reproducibility of results.
• Support maintenance of a human PBMC and serum bank.
• Present program updates and research strategies to functional and non-functional leaders as well as potential and existing partners.
• Advance scientific expertise within immunogenicity space by staying up-to-date with literature, attending conferences and participating in industry working groups.

Qualifications

• Bachelors or Masters (with minimum 2 years relevant experience) or PhD in Immunology or related field with demonstrated impact within discipline (e.g. strong publication record, conference presentations, etc.).
• Extensive knowledge and experience in immuno-biology of both innate and adaptive systems with experience evaluating immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins and/or vaccines strongly preferred.
• Direct experience working with primary human immune cells (isolation, cell subset induction, antigen specific activation, etc.) or antibody binding assays (preferably ADA assessment). 
• Proficiency for the assessment of routine immune assay readouts (e.g., flow cytometry, bead/ELISA-based cytokine readouts, ELISpot, immunofluorescence, etc.).
• Demonstrated capabilities in scaling and automating assays strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of standard statistical analysis and visualization of scientific data (e.g., Prism, Flowjo, python, etc.).
• Extremely organized and experienced with documentation of experimental plans, budgeting, and timeline management.
• Self-directed and capable of leading complex research projects semi-independently while collaborating with interdisciplinary stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills, highly collaborative, team-oriented, and demonstrated ability to collaborate with those within and outside direct field of expertise.
• Ability to promote an inclusive environment where diverse ideas, viewpoints and backgrounds are valued; willingness and ability to lead inclusively and demonstrate a commitment to listen and consider all points of view.

Compensation

The specific compensation package for this role depends on experience, qualifications and level. We anticipate the compensation range to be $72,000 to $161,000 per year. 

Xaira Therapeutics is an equal opportunity employer. We thrive on diversity and collaboration, and we welcome candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences.