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Protein Engineering Scientist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

SystImmune, Inc

Director, Protein Engineering

Redmond, WA · On-site

$180K - $240K/yr

This is a hands-on scientific leadership role that combines team management, platform ownership ... Stay current on the protein engineering, display technology, and lab automation landscape; bring ...

LabPersonnel

Protein Production Scientist

Lemont, IL · On-site

$27/hr

Our work integrated protein engineering, bioprocessing, and materials characterization to support circular and scalable textile innovation. The team is searching for a contract scientist to support ...

Systimmune

Director, Protein Engineering

Redmond, WA · On-site

$180K - $240K/yr

This is a hands-on scientific leadership role that combines team management, platform ownership ... Stay current on the protein engineering, display technology, and lab automation landscape; bring ...

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Protein Engineering Scientist information

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$40.5K

$98.8K

$156.5K

How much do protein engineering scientist jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for protein engineering scientist in the United States is $98,759.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $78,000.00 and $116,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Protein Engineering Scientist position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Protein Engineering Scientist, you need a strong background in molecular biology, biochemistry, and protein design, typically demonstrated through an advanced degree (MSc or PhD) in a life science field. Experience with techniques such as site-directed mutagenesis, protein expression and purification, and familiarity with analytical tools like HPLC, mass spectrometry, and relevant bioinformatics software is essential. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective teamwork and communication skills set top candidates apart. Mastery of these areas is crucial for efficiently designing, optimizing, and characterizing proteins that meet organizational and research goals.

What are some typical day-to-day responsibilities for a Protein Engineering Scientist?

As a Protein Engineering Scientist, your daily responsibilities often include designing and executing experiments to modify protein structures, analyzing biochemical data, and troubleshooting experimental results. You’ll regularly use both laboratory techniques and computational tools to optimize protein properties, document your findings, and present data to project teams. Collaboration is a key part of the role, so you’ll frequently interact with colleagues from molecular biology, bioinformatics, and downstream process development groups. This dynamic environment keeps the work intellectually stimulating and offers ongoing opportunities to learn from multidisciplinary teams.

What is a Protein Engineering Scientist job?

A Protein Engineering Scientist designs and optimizes proteins for specific applications using techniques like directed evolution and computational modeling. They work in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or academic research to develop enzymes, antibodies, or therapeutic proteins. Their role includes molecular biology, structural analysis, and laboratory experimentation to improve protein function, stability, or specificity.

More about Protein Engineering Scientist jobs
What cities are hiring for Protein Engineering Scientist jobs? Cities with the most Protein Engineering Scientist job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Protein Engineering Scientist jobs? The most popular types of Protein Engineering Scientist jobs are:
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Protein Engineering Scientist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Protein Engineering Scientist job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, 4% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $98,759 per year, or $47.5 per hour.
Protein Engineering Scientist

Protein Engineering Scientist

Corteva Agriscience

Des Moines, IA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Retirement, PTO

Posted 6 hours ago

Job description

Who Are We, And What Do We Do?
At Corteva Agriscience you will help us grow what's next. No matter your role, you will be part of a team that is building the future of agriculture - leading breakthroughs in the innovation and application of science and technology that will better the lives of people all over the world and fuel the progress of humankind.
Corteva Agriscience is seeking a highly motivated and innovative Protein Engineering Scientist to join the Protein Engineering Group within Protein Sciences & Analytical Core Technologies (PSACT). This role will contribute to the design, optimization, expression, and characterization of proteins that enable biotechnology and gene-edited seed product development.
We are seeking a scientist with a strong foundation in biochemistry, protein structure-function relationships, and molecular evolution technologies who is excited to apply those skills to complex real-world product challenges. This role is well suited for candidates with experience in protein therapeutics, biologics discovery, enzyme engineering, antibody engineering, or related pharma/biotech protein platforms who want to bring advanced protein engineering approaches into agricultural innovation.
The Protein Engineering Scientist will play a key role in advancing trait discovery and development by applying modern protein engineering approaches, including library design, screening, directed evolution, and high-throughput design-build-test-learn workflows, to deliver impactful solutions aligned with R&D and business strategies. This position will work in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment, partnering closely with discovery, analytical, and development teams to accelerate portfolio progression while maintaining strong scientific rigor, data quality, and operational excellence.
This role will be on-site at our Corteva Seed Global Business Center located in Johnston, IA.
Responsibilities - What You'll Do:
  • Design, engineer, and optimize protein variants to improve activity, specificity, stability, expression, and overall developability.
  • Apply biochemistry, protein structure-function knowledge, and molecular design principles to solve protein performance challenges.
  • Develop and execute protein engineering strategies using approaches such as directed evolution, library design, mutagenesis, and screening/selection workflows.
  • Execute protein expression, purification, and characterization workflows using recombinant systems and analytical techniques.
  • Interpret biochemical, biophysical, and functional data to guide protein engineering strategy and next-step designs.
  • Partner with cross-functional teams to advance proteins from early discovery through optimization and development decision points.
  • Contribute to development and continuous improvement of protein engineering platforms, screening workflows, and automation capabilities.
  • Maintain high standards of scientific rigor, reproducibility, data quality, and documentation.
  • Support generation of high-quality data packages and reagents for research, technology, and development milestones.
  • Stay current with emerging protein engineering and analytical technologies and help translate external innovation into internal capability building.

Qualifications and Experiences- What You'll Need:
  • Ph.D. (or equivalent experience) in biochemistry, protein engineering, structural biology, molecular biology, chemical biology, or a related field.
  • Strong background in protein biochemistry and understanding of protein structure, stability, folding, and mechanism/function relationships.
  • Hands-on experience in protein engineering, including one or more of the following:
    • directed evolution
    • display technologies (phage, yeast, ribosome, mRNA, or related platforms)
    • library design and screening/selection
    • rational or semi-rational protein design
  • Experience with recombinant protein expression and purification workflows.
  • Experience applying biochemical and analytical methods to characterize proteins, such as LC/MS, HPLC, ELISA, SDS-PAGE, binding assays, or biophysical characterization methods.
  • Strong data analysis skills and ability to use experimental data to drive decisions and iteration cycles.
  • Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a collaborative, team-based R&D environment.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills with a high level of scientific rigor and attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Industry experience in pharma, biotech, biologics discovery, enzyme engineering, or platform technology development.
  • Experience optimizing proteins for developability attributes such as stability, manufacturability, solubility, and expression.
  • Familiarity with high-throughput screening workflows, automation, or design-build-test-learn platforms.
  • Experience with computational protein design or integration of in silico methods with experimental workflows.
  • Familiarity with regulated environments or contributing to data packages that support downstream development decisions.

Benefits - How We'll Support You:
  • Numerous development opportunities offered to build your skills
  • Be part of a company with a higher purpose and contribute to making the world a better place
  • Health benefits for you and your family on your first day of employment
  • Four weeks of paid time off and two weeks of well-being pay per year, plus paid holidays
  • Excellent parental leave which includes a minimum of 16 weeks for mother and father
  • Future planning with our competitive retirement savings plan and tuition reimbursement program
  • Learn more about our total rewards package here - Corteva Benefits
  • Check out life at Corteva! www.linkedin.com/company/corteva/life

Are you a good match? Apply today! We seek applicants from all backgrounds to ensure we get the best, most creative talent on our team.
Corteva Agriscience is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to embracing our differences to enrich lives, advance innovation, and boost company performance. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, military or veteran status, pregnancy related conditions (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), disability or any other protected status in accordance with federal, state, or local laws.

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