Senior Principal Scientist

About Summit:

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical oncology company with a mission focused on improving quality of life, increasing potential duration of life, and resolving serious unmet medical needs. At Summit, we believe in building a team of world class professionals who are passionate about this mission, and it is our people who drive this mission to reality. Summit’s core values include integrity, passion for excellence, purposeful urgency, collaboration, and our commitment to people. Our employees are truly the heart and soul of our culture, and they are invaluable in shaping our journey toward excellence.

Summit’s team is inspired to touch and help change lives through Summit’s clinical studies in the field of oncology. Summit has multiple global Phase 3 clinical studies, including:

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

• HARMONi: Phase 3 clinical study which was intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who were previously treated with a 3rd generation EGFR TKI.

• HARMONi-3: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

• HARMONi-7: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab monotherapy compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

Colorectal Cancer (CRC)

• HARMONi-GI3: Phase 3 clinical study intended to evaluate ivonescimab in combination with chemotherapy compared with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy.

Ivonescimab is an investigational therapy not presently approved by any regulatory authority other than China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Summit is headquartered in Miami, Florida, and has additional offices in California, New Jersey, the UK, and Ireland.

Overview of Role: 

This is a hands-on, laboratory-based role in cell biology, focused on antibody screening and functional characterization in oncology and immunology. The scientist takes primary responsibility for bench work, from binding assays through immune-effector and cell-killing assays, and contributes directly to the discovery, characterization, and advancement of new antibody pipeline candidates. 

 

Role and Responsibilities: 

 

• Antibody Screening and Binding Characterization 

• Perform antibody ELISA (binding, specificity, and cross-reactivity) to screen and rank candidate antibodies. 

• Run cell-based binding assays on target-expressing tumor and immune cell lines and primary cells, typically by flow cytometry, to assess binding strength and specificity. 

• Develop, optimize, and qualify assays, and analyze and summarize screening data to support candidate selection. 

• Immune-Cell Functional Assays 

• Run PBMC-based tumor-killing assays and co-culture systems using primary human immune cells. 

• Measure T cell and NK cell activation, including activation markers, proliferation, cytokine release, and cytotoxicity. 

• Evaluate regulatory T cell (Treg) depletion and shifts in immune-cell composition after antibody treatment. 

• Use mechanistic findings to inform indication selection, rational combinations, and biomarker development. 

• Fc-Effector Function Characterization 

• Design and execute ADCC, CDC, and ADCP assays to characterize the effector function of candidate antibodies. 

• Compare candidates across Fc formats, target-expression levels, and cell models to understand mechanism of action, evaluate antibody potency and safety. 

• In Vivo Studies (as applicable) 

• Support animal studies, including PK/PD experiments, to connect in vitro activity with in vivo exposure and pharmacodynamic response. 

• Work with contract research organizations and academic laboratories to extend in vitro and in vivo studies. 

• Cross-Functional Collaboration and Scientific Communication 

• Design and run experiments to characterize and advance candidate molecules. 

• Prepare both in-depth analyses and executive-level summaries for internal stakeholders. 

• Serve as a subject-matter expert in cross-functional teams and support decision-making. 

• Develop conference abstracts and presentations, and contribute manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication. 

• Perform other assigned responsibilities, including SOP and protocol drafting, instrument maintenance, etc. 

• All other duties as assigned 

 

Experience, Education and Specialized Knowledge and Skills: 

 

• PhD plus at least 3 years of industry experience, or MS plus at least 5 years of industry experience, in cell biology, immunology, cancer biology, or a related field. 

• Experience with multi-antibody characterization, including ELISA and cell-based binding assays for antibody screening. 

• Hands-on experience with ADCC, CDC, and ADCP assays for antibody characterization. 

• Experience with primary human PBMCs and isolated T cells and NK cells, including PBMC-based tumor-killing assays, T cell and NK cell activation assays, and Treg depletion assays. 

• Able to work independently, with strong record of scientific communication across presentations, posters, and manuscripts, together with cross-functional collaboration experience. 

• Assess emerging technologies, scientific literature, and competitive landscapes in oncology and immunology to inform innovation and pipeline development. 

• Preferred 

• In vivo animal experience, particularly PK/PD studies, including study design, dosing, sample collection, and analysis of exposure and pharmacodynamic readouts in mouse tumor models. 

• Antibody affinity measurement (for example SPR or BLI) and reporter-gene assays for target binding or blockade. 

• Publication record in immuno-oncology. 

• Multiplex immunohistochemistry or fluorescence microscopy. 

• Experience in IND study reports. 

 

 

Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. This may be different in other locations due to differences in the cost of labor. The total compensation package for this position may also include bonus, stock, benefits and/or other applicable variable compensation.

Summit does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact Summit’s Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@smmttx.com to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to Summit.

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and takes pride in creating and maintaining diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training or promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.