Senior Director, Protein Production

About Xaira Therapeutics

Xaira is an innovative biotech startup focused on leveraging AI to transform drug discovery and development. The company is leading the development of generative AI models to design protein and antibody therapeutics, enabling the creation of medicines against historically hard-to-drug molecular targets. It is also developing foundation models for biology and disease to enable better target elucidation and patient stratification. Collectively, these technologies aim to continually enable the identification of novel therapies and to improve success in drug development. Xaira is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and London.

About the Role

As a Senior Director of the Protein Production group, you will be responsible for all research grade protein production and liaising with CDMO for technology transfer of upstream and downstream processes.

About You

You are a seasoned protein biochemistry leader who takes pride in building and leading a protein production group responsible for research and development grade material. You enjoy mentoring and developing team members. Your passion lies in drug discovery and developing novel treatments for patients. You are conscientious, detail-oriented, and organized. Collaboration comes naturally to you, and you thrive in a fast-paced environment where pushing the boundaries of what is possible is the norm.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and conduct molecular biology efforts to enable protein production in a range of host organisms (E. coli, yeast, cell-free, and mammalian)
• Oversee the protein production from a range of host organisms (E. coli, yeast, cell-free, and mammalian), and  range of throughputs 10 to 1000s at varying volumes.
• Direct the purification of soluble and membrane proteins using AKTA (and other) purification systems.
• Qualify all recombinant proteins by spectroscopic (UV, fluorescence), electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), aggregation (analytical SEC), validated  interactions (BLI/SPR), and identity (MS) methods.
• Characterize antibodies for therapeutic properties such as binding kinetics, epitope,  stability (thermal and pH), polyspecificity, aggregation propensity, etc..
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot and provide protein reagents. 
• Able to translate research assays to validated assays for the CMC process (i.e. release and potency assays). 
• Identify and coordinate technology transfer to CRO and CDMOs.
• Utilize automation systems to ensure efficient and precise execution of experiments.
• Train and mentor junior team members, providing guidance on experimental design, data analysis, and troubleshooting.
• Maintain accurate and detailed records of experiments, protocols, and results in accordance with company standards and regulatory requirements.
• Interpret and present scientific findings at research meetings. Provide scientific input and propose follow-up experiments.
• Collaborate and communicate across diverse research teams to successfully achieve scientific goals.
• Contribute to scientific publications, patents, and presentations to disseminate research findings both internally and externally.

Qualifications

• B.S. or Ph.D in Structural Biology, Protein Biochemistry, or related fields with 15+ years of industrial experience.
• Deep experience in designing and optimizing protein production processes, including fermentation, cell culture, and purification.
• Hands-on experience in utilizing a variety of analytical techniques like HPLC, Mass Spectrometry, BLI, ELISA, and CE-SDS for protein characterization. 
• Analyzing experimental data, drawing conclusions, and providing insights to inform process optimization
• Working with cross-functional teams, including research, CMC, and clinical, to ensure alignment and successful product development. 
• Maintaining detailed documentation of experimental designs, methods, and results in electronic lab notebooks. 
• Contributing to the preparation of technical reports and regulatory documentation. 
• Training and mentoring junior team members in protein production and analytical techniques. 

Nice to have Skill(s)

• Experience in using automation to generate high throughput small-scale (<1mg) antibodies and related molecules.
• Experience in structural biology (X-ray crystallography or cryo-EM) is highly desirable. 
• Experience using LIMS and Benchling systems.

Compensation

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 $215,000 - $280,000 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.