Senior Scientist, Antibody Engineering

Company Summary:

What if you could join an organization that creates and builds life sciences companies that invent breakthrough technologies to transform healthcare and sustainability?

Metaphore Biotechnologies, Inc. is an early-stage biotechnology company with an ambitious and exciting mission: to reimagine drug discovery through the integration of computational and experimental innovation. The company is developing a revolutionary approach to this challenge and recruiting a team of top-tier scientists and engineers to build a powerful, first-in-category, translational R&D platform.

Flagship Pioneering is a biotechnology 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:

Metaphore is seeking a creative, resourceful, and highly collaborative multidisciplinary Senior Scientist to join our dynamic Platform Discovery and Engineering team. The ideal candidate will have previous industry experience with a strong multidisciplinary background supported by a solid track record in the discovery and characterization of therapeutic proteins, specifically monoclonal antibodies. Essential skills include a strong understanding of library display technologies, with an emphasis on phage display workflows.  In this role the candidate will be accountable to ideate, develop, and implement engineering and selection campaigns aimed at the identification and optimization of lead biologic molecules, as well as to mutagenize and deploy target libraries to characterize protein-protein interactions.  The ideal candidate will have the ability to excel in a collaborative multidisciplinary environment. We are looking for adaptive and scientifically curious individuals that will thrive in an ecosystem that encourages collaboration, growth, and learning.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and execute phage display campaigns that unlock the therapeutic potential of molecular mimicry
• Collaborate with the broader Platform Discovery and Engineering team to help develop the group’s overall scientific strategy
• Drive the hit-to-lead process and in-depth characterization and optimization of lead candidates
• Develop a strategy for successful high-throughput antibody discovery and library-based engineering using phage display (knowledge of yeast and mammalian systems is a plus)
• Contribute to therapeutic discovery program teams, leading screening/selection campaigns in a matrix environment
• Collaborate closely with Computational and Translational Sciences teams to inform both machine learning and preclinical development, specifically, analyze and interpret large datasets that characterize complex biology, thereby guiding Metaphore's innovative discovery engine.
• Develop and validate ligand-binding and cell-based assays that enable hit characterization.
• Support the continued protection, creation, and expansion of the company’s intellectual property
• Prepare and present comprehensive data packages and incisive analyses pivotal in driving program progression and strategic decision-making.

Basic Qualifications:

• PhD. with 5+ years of experience in protein engineering, synthetic biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related field. Prior industry experience in drug discovery or preclinical development is required, with a focus on antibody development preferred.
• Deep technical expertise with phage display systems focusing on the generation of very high library diversity (familiarity with alternative platforms such as yeast, mammalian, and ribosome display is a plus)
• Proficiency in a variety of molecular biology techniques including, but not limited to, Golden Gate, Gibson assembly, construction of mutational libraries, and NGS sample preparation
• Experience with standard/phage-based ELISA and familiarity with other methods of binding characterization, including HTRF, FRET, and SPR (flow cytometry experience is a plus)
• Proven expertise in discovery campaign design and optimization, and interpretation of results from a diverse array of assays and NGS readouts.
• Familiarity with high throughput automation of display workflows is a plus
• Familiarity with the drug development process, including the advancement of molecules from discovery to IND is a plus
• Excellent communication skills, ability to clearly convey complex messages across multidisciplinary teams, and commitment to collaboration.
• Scientific excellence, execution rigor, creative resourcefulness, critical thinking, attention to detail, great organization skills, and proven track-record of achievement, as evidenced by publications in peer-reviewed journals, and contributions to the development of research and preclinical programs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Molecular biology and protein biochemistry skills
• Experience with phage display
• Experience with high throughput selection/screening and NGS library preparation

Values and Behaviors

We are seeking individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit, strong communication skills, and comfort working in and contributing to a dynamic and cross-functional team environment. The level of the role will be commensurate with the education and years of experience of the identified candidate.

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.