Scientist/Senior Scientist, Immunogenicity

About the Role

Xaira seeks an accomplished immunologist, preferably with direct experience investigating immunogenicity of biologics and/or vaccines. This role will involve investigations into the fundamental biology governing immunogenicity, development of novel assays and supporting immunogenicity risk assessment and mitigation for pipeline programs. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the development and execution of assays while participating in a variety of interdisciplinary collaborations with machine learning, bioinformatics and proteomics colleagues. This will be an exciting opportunity for a scientist looking to contribute to building a new team and exploring, then applying, novel biological insights.

About You

You have a strong background in immunology, experience with human immune cell isolation/derivation and culture, proficiency with immune assay readouts/instrumentation (flow cytometry, cytokine, ELISpot, etc.) and a proven record of managing and mentoring junior scientists. From either academia or industry, you will have experience with identifying key gaps in knowledge, project conception, strategic planning, timeline management and both leading as well as contributing to cross-functional, interdisciplinary teams. You will lead by influence and maintain a productive, collaborative and inclusive laboratory environment. As a founding member of this new team, you will need to provide strategic direction and vision, while effectively communicating horizontally across disciplines and vertically from junior scientist to executive-level management. A demonstrated domain expertise for antigen presenting cell, T cell and/or B cell biology as they relate to adaptive immune responses is required. 

Key responsibilities

• Develop, troubleshoot and execute primary human immune cell assays including induction of monocyte derived dendritic cells, activation of T cells and/or evaluation of B cells 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
• Actively contribute to hiring, onboarding, training and mentorship of future team members
• Develop forward looking strategies to identify and implement novel assays, measurements, and technologies that increase throughput, quality, and reproducibility of results
• Establish, characterize and maintain a human PBMC 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/Masters (with 7+ years relevant experience) or PhD (with 2+ years experience) 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.)
• 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 multiple complex research projects 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
• Proven management and mentorship abilities, including supervising, coaching and developing junior scientists
• 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 $104,000 to $150,000 per year. 

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