Senior/Principal Scientist, Antibody Discovery
Germantown, MD | Full Time
Nexagen Search is representing a biotechnology company that is hiring for an Senior/Principal Scientist, Antibody Discovery to join their research team in Rokville, MD. This role will contribute to early-stage discovery programs and will employ molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell-based techniques to support the development of novel therapeutic candidates
Key Responsibilities
- Lead discovery-stage research for pipeline therapeutic programs.
- Identify and validate novel antibody hits using phage/yeast display and/or hybridoma platforms.
- Develop and execute screening funnels to assess binding, selectivity, and functional activity across biochemical and cellular assays.
- Generate expression constructs and produce/purify candidate biologics in mammalian expression systems to support discovery workflows.
- Characterize antibody candidates through in vitro assays, including binding analyses, epitope assessment, and functional cell-based readouts.
- Analyze and interpret experimental data to inform hit prioritization, lead selection, and next-step discovery strategies.
- Troubleshoot experimental challenges, optimize assay conditions, and refine discovery tools and methods.
- Present research findings to internal project teams and represent the program at scientific meetings as needed.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams—including translational medicine, medical sciences, CMC, and external CRO partners—to advance discovery candidates.
- May mentor or supervise research associates and scientists contributing to discovery programs.
Core Qualifications & Experience
- Ph.D. in biochemistry, molecular/cell biology, immunology, pharmacology, or related field.
- Deep expertise in antibody discovery technologies (eg. yeast/phage display, hybridoma, and/or single b-cell technologies)
- Hands-on proficiency with gene cloning, library construction, hit screening, and initial lead characterization.
- Experience with biochemical and cell-based discovery assays such as FACS, ELISA, Octet, and other quantitative binding/functional assays.
- Working knowledge of mammalian expression systems for producing and purifying screening-stage biologics.
- Experience running biophysical assays to evaluate KD, binding kinetics, and epitope interactions.
- Familiarity with different biologic formats applied in a discovery context.
- Highly collaborative mindset and ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary discovery teams.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including clear presentation of complex scientific data
Compensation: 100-150k base; 15% annual bonus
Recruiter in Charge: Jeff Caskey
Managing Partner – jeff@nexagensearch.com