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Salary: USD 124,000 - 155,000 / annual
Xaira Therapeutics is an innovative biotech startup leveraging AI to transform drug discovery and development. The company develops generative AI models to design protein and antibody therapeutics against hard-to-drug molecular targets, and foundation models for biology and disease to enable better target elucidation and patient stratification. Xaira is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and London.
In this Scientist II role, you will spearhead the design and execution of cutting-edge experiments to accelerate drug discovery and development efforts using functional genomics and synthetic biology approaches. You will develop high-throughput screens, drive new technology initiatives, and work with strong technical expertise and laboratory skills in a collaborative cross-functional environment.
Key responsibilities include:
- Design, implement, and optimize biochemical, molecular, and cell-based assays to support high-throughput screening platform development
- Scale high-throughput screening strategies for binder discovery in mammalian systems
- Evaluate and pilot emerging technologies and experimental workflows to enhance discovery capabilities
- Develop and optimize automated workflows, ensuring data quality, reproducibility, and process efficiency
- Partner with drug discovery, computational biology, and AI-based protein design teams to analyze, interpret, and share insights from screening data
- Independently manage multiple projects, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality data and adherence to team goals
- Maintain accurate records of experiments, protocols, and findings; contribute to internal and external scientific presentations
You should possess excellent written and oral communication skills, work productively in a collaborative environment, and keep current with the field, including literature and technology development.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Ph.D. in Immunology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Functional Genomics, or related field, with 2-4 years of postdoctoral or industry experience (recent PhD graduates or candidates with fewer years of experience are encouraged to apply, with job level adjustable as appropriate)
- Proficiency with molecular biology techniques, complex library construction, flow cytometry, and cell line engineering
- Experience with pooled screening and NGS-based readouts, including library preparation and sequencing QC
- Strong analytical skills and ability to troubleshoot complex experimental issues independently
- Strong data analysis capabilities, including proficiency with visualization and statistical software (e.g., GraphPad Prism, R, Python)
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present scientific findings clearly and concisely to diverse audiences
- Enthusiastic team player who can work effectively across interdisciplinary teams and drive cross-functional projects
- Plus: Experience with high-throughput antibody display technologies (yeast, phage, or mammalian display)
- Plus: Familiarity with single-cell genomics workflows (e.g., scRNA-seq, barcoded or multiplexed assays)
