Senior Scientist/Principal Scientist, Biologics Discovery

Job Description

Job DescriptionAbout Synolo Therapeutics:Synolo Therapeutics, an early-stage biotechnology company launched by RA Ventures, is pioneering the development of precision-targeted immunotherapies for cancer. Powered by computational protein design and proprietary technologies that yield biological data sets at unprecedented scale and resolution, we are building a pipeline of first-in-class multi-specific biologics with novel functionalities. Synolo was founded by pioneers in the field of protein design and engineering, synthetic biology, DNA sequencing, immunology, and biologics drug discovery and development.
About RA Capital:RA Capital Management funds and builds healthcare and life science companies using an evidence-based investment approach informed by TechAtlas, a think tank within RA Capital which analyzes scientific and clinical data from academic literature and industry sources to anticipate how breakthroughs might impact industry stakeholders, physicians, patients, and policymakers. TechAtlas' analyses are captured in a unique collection of competitive landscapes, or ‘maps’, that identify competitive therapeutics, diagnostics, research tools, and/or technological capabilities in a given area.
About the Role:Synolo Therapeutics is seeking a collaborative and technically strong Senior Scientist or Principal Scientist to join our Biologics Discovery team. This role is a great fit for an antibody discovery and engineering expert who enjoys hands-on work at the bench, leads through influence and scientific excellence, and thrives in a fast-moving, early-stage biotech environment.
In this role, you will play a key part in advancing Synolo’s in-house biologics platform, including the discovery, engineering, and characterization of multispecific antibody therapeutics. You will have meaningful ownership of scientific direction and execution, working closely with cross-functional partners across discovery and development. As a member of a highly engaged team, you will help shape scientific strategy, support strong execution, and contribute to a collaborative, thoughtful, and results-driven culture.Key Responsibilities:

• Drive discovery and platform efforts: Lead research activities within the in-house biologics team, achieve project milestones, and advance platform development for biologic discovery and multispecific antibody engineering.
• Design and build libraries: Develop antibody libraries using in silico and rational approaches
• Antibody isolation and optimization: Experimentally isolate antibodies with desired properties through discovery workflows and analyze antibody sequences resulting from these workflows. Improve antibody leads through humanization, affinity maturation/optimization, and other engineering strategies to enhance performance and overall quality. Partner with Protein Science and Immunology teams to design, engineer, and refine multi-specific antibody constructs to maximize functionality
• Communicate and collaborate: Present results, recommendations, and next steps to project teams and cross-functional stakeholders to drive alignment, momentum, and program success.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Strong knowledge of canonical antibody sequence classes and structural concepts, including experience with alternative formats such as scFvs, VHHs, and multispecific formats.
• Hands-on expertise with yeast or phage display methods for antibody engineering, including library construction, panning/sorting, and sequence analysis.
• Proficiency with next-generation sequencing (NGS) and its application to antibody discovery and optimization workflows.
• Experience with handling significant numbers of sequences and related data, and proficiency in software to process antibody sequence-related data (Geneious Biologics, PipeBio, etc.)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build productive working relationships across functions and with external contractors, consultants, and CROs.

Education & Experience:

• We recognize that great careers aren’t always linear and welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds.
• PhD, MS, or BS in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, with a minimum of 12 years (BS), 8 years (MS), or 3 years (PhD) of relevant industry experience.
• Title will be commensurate with experience.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience interfacing with protein design scientists and ML-related workflows
• Experience with automation and automated workflows for both data-handling and liquid-handling systems
• Experience interpreting data from biophysical characterization techniques such as BLI, SPR, DSF, and HPLC-based methods

At Synolo Therapeutics, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment where all individuals are valued and treated with dignity. We believe that diversity drives innovation and strengthens our ability to make a meaningful impact through our work. We are committed to being an equal opportunity employer who ensures that all qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment without regard to neurodiversity, race/ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, gender, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, genetic information, military service, covered/protected veteran status or any other federal, state or local protected class.
We kindly ask that recruiting agencies and third-party recruiters do not contact us regarding this position. We are not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from agencies at this time.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.