Scientist II, High Throughput Biology

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

We are seeking a highly motivated Scientist II to join our dynamic team at Xaira Therapeutics. In this role, you will spearhead the design and execution of cutting-edge experiments aimed at accelerating our drug discovery and development efforts by applying functional genomics and synthetic biology approaches, developing high-throughput screens and driving new technology initiatives. The successful candidate should possess strong technical expertise & laboratory skills, have excellent written and oral communication skills, work productively in a collaborative cross-functional team environment, and keep current with the field of expertise, including literature and technology development.

Key Responsibilities

• 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, and contribute to internal and external scientific presentations.

Qualifications

• 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 with fewer years of experience are also encouraged to apply and job level can be adjusted 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
• Experience with high throughput antibody display technologies, including yeast, phage or mammalian display, is a plus
• Familiarity with single-cell genomics workflows (e.g., scRNA-seq, barcoded or multiplexed assays) is a plus
• Strong analytical skills and the 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.

Compensation

Annual

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 $124,000 to $155,000 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.