Senior Scientist, Protein Sciences

Company Summary:

Founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2021, Metaphore aims to unlock breakthroughs that outperform today’s drugs for maximum patient impact, We adapted this idea to drug discovery. MIMIC™, our computationally driven bioplatform that couples machine learning with molecular mimicry, engineers therapeutics to trigger a desired biological response. Our MIMIC platform opens the possibility to develop engineered medicines with specific features to access a range of targets, including those that were previously intractable. Flagship and Metaphore have also just announced a $600M research collaboration with Novo Nordisk to develop up to two next-generation therapeutics for obesity management.

Flagship Pioneering is a bioplatform innovation company that invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health or sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in more than $90 billion in aggregate value. Many of the companies Flagship has founded have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.  Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies, and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Learn more about Flagship at www.flagshippioneering.com.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a talented Senior Scientist, specializing in Protein Production and Engineering. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in the field and will play a key role in our collaborative team, driving discovery and AI/ML design and comprehensive optimization efforts. This individual will be expected to lead and mentor the team members working towards challenging experimental and engineering problems. While routinely engaging in laboratory work, the Senior Scientist should possess an innovative mindset and be ready to introduce new dimensions to our processes. This is a key role in establishing best practices and supporting the scaling up of Metaphore's workflows and automation build. 

Responsibilities: 

• Develop, optimize and implement new technologies and methodologies to improve cell line development and process optimization for robust protein production of challenging proteins. 

• Design protein constructs for fusion expression and co-expression formats.  

• Effectively utilize molecular biology tools to design advanced constructs suited for a wide range of expression and purification systems. 

• Oversee and execute protein purifications at various scales, utilizing multi-mode chromatographic methods. 

• Implement high-volume automated purifications via the AKTA system. Knowledge of the intricacies of the AKTA systems and the ability to write and troubleshoot effective methods are essential for this role. 

• Prepare samples and develop strategies to streamline structural, mass spectrometric, and developability analysis. 

• Use of biophysical tools for protein interaction and developability characterization BLI, SPR, UPLC-MALS, DSF, DLS etc. 

• Exhibit strong leadership skills, capable of mentoring, providing guidance to team members, and acting as a go-to person for troubleshooting and resolving advanced experimental problems within the lab. 

Qualifications: 

• PhD degree in protein biochemistry, molecular biology, chemical engineering, structural biology, or analytical chemistry with 5+ years industry experience. 

• High-level proficiency in protein purification using FPLC and UPLC systems, accompanied by successful and sophisticated analysis including biophysical methods, is a critical requirement. 

• Proven Leadership and Management Experience. A track record of independently managing and successfully delivering complex projects, as well as experience in mentoring and guiding scientists. 

• Strong and demonstrable experience in transient transfection of mammalian cells, as well as stable pool generation and advanced cell line development, is important. 

• Experience working in a high-throughput environment, managing numerous workflows, and utilizing robotics and data capture and tracking systems. 

• Experience with antibody discovery workflows and validation focusing on engineering advanced formats towards IND enabling studies and CMC. 

• Proven capability in accurately executing high-throughput workflows with enthusiasm and precision, especially in roles involving detailed data management. 

• Demonstrated creative thinking abilities, underscored by a significant drive toward innovation and original problem-solving. 

At Flagship, we recognize there is no perfect candidate. If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. Experience comes in many forms, skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your unique background.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.