Phage Display Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

About the Role

We are looking for an accomplished protein biochemist to own phage display campaigns end-to-end within our Display Technologies group. You bring deep hands-on display expertise and the judgment to design selection strategies, troubleshoot challenging targets, and turn campaigns into high-quality datasets that feed AI antibody design. You take pride in rigorous bench execution, you think critically about experimental design, and you are comfortable working against difficult target classes-including membrane proteins presented in cell-based expression systems or recombinant formats.

Beyond your own bench work, you will help raise the level of the group: mentoring associate scientists, setting technical standards, and partnering with computational and engineering colleagues to scale data generation. You thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment where pushing the boundaries of what is possible is the norm.

Responsibilities

• Independently design, execute, and own phage display campaigns from library through panning and hit validation, across both soluble antigens and membrane-protein targets (e.g., GPCRs) presented in cell-based expression systems or recombinant formats.
• Develop and optimize selection strategies for difficult target classes, including troubleshooting antigen production, presentation, and quality control.
• Design and build display libraries, applying strong molecular biology fundamentals (cloning, mutagenesis, assembly) to generate high-quality, diverse repertoires.
• Design and run clonal-level affinity and functional characterization-including flow cytometry (FACS), ELISA, and SPR-and help adapt these assays to higher-throughput and automated formats.
• Partner with computational and ML colleagues to generate, structure, and quality-control data at scale for model training and evaluation.
• Mentor associate scientists on display workflows, experimental design, and lab best practices; contribute to technical standards within the group.
• Contribute to and lead the preparation of technical reports, presentations, and documentation of methods and results.

Qualifications

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology, Protein Engineering, or a related field, with 2-4 years of relevant industry experience.
• Significant hands-on expertise with antibody/protein discovery by phage display, including library design, build, panning/selection, and hit validation.
• Strong molecular biology skills for library construction, including cloning, mutagenesis, and assembly, with the rigor to build high-quality, diverse libraries.
• Hands-on flow cytometry (FACS) experience is required, including data interpretation and gating strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to run campaigns independently and troubleshoot challenging targets; experience with membrane proteins (e.g., GPCRs) in cell-based expression systems or recombinant formats is strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of antibody binding and characterization assays (e.g., ELISA) and proficiency in core molecular and cell biology techniques, including mammalian cell culture.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with meticulous attention to detail and a rigorous, organized approach to experimental design and documentation.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex scientific concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary team, with a track record of fostering knowledge-sharing and supporting more junior colleagues.

Nice to Have

• Experience with label-free affinity characterization (SPR, BLI/Octet).
• Experience with alternative display formats (yeast, mammalian, or ribosome/mRNA display).
• Experience with lab automation (e.g., Hamilton, Tecan, or similar liquid handling).
• Working knowledge of scripting for analysis of large datasets (e.g., Python or R).
  

Compensation

Annual

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, seeking to provide an open, flexible, and friendly work environment to empower employees and provide them with a platform to develop their long-term careers. A Summary of Benefits is available for all applicants. We offer a competitive package that includes base salary, bonus, and equity.  The base pay range for this position is expected to be $124,000 to $155,000 annually; however, the base pay offered may vary depending on the market, job-related knowledge, skills and capabilities, and experience.

Xaira Therapeutics an equal-opportunity employer. We believe that our strength is in our differences. Our goal to build a diverse and inclusive team began on day one, and it will never end.

TO ALL RECRUITMENT AGENCIES: Xaira Therapeutics does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias or employees. Xaira Therapeutics is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.