Scientist I - Antibody Engineering (San Diego)

About Antibody Design Labs (ADL)

Founded in 2011, Antibody Design Labs (ADL) is a specialized Contract Research Organization (CRO) delivering a centralized platform of advanced tools, resources, and techniques for recombinant antibody generation, engineering, and design. We provide high-level discovery capabilities to global biotechnology and pharmaceutical partners. Our end-to-end services cover all early-stage discovery programs in peptides and antibodies—including immunization, synthetic and immunized library construction, screening, and functional validation.

Position Overview

We are seeking a talented and driven Research Scientist specializing in Molecular Biology and Antibody Engineering to join our team. In this pivotal role, you will take ownership of the library construction programs, contribute directly to sequence diversity design, and oversee project timelines to ensure high-quality service delivery on schedule. This is an excellent opportunity for a scientist who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced CRO environment where your expertise directly impacts innovative therapeutic discovery.

Key Responsibilities

• Library Construction & Execution: Lead the end-to-end design, construction, and characterization of synthetic, naive, and immunized antibody and peptide display libraries (phage, yeast, or related platforms).
• Sequence Diversity & Design: Collaborate on sequence diversity schemes, codon optimization strategies, humanization, affinity maturation and structural considerations to build highly diverse, high-quality recombinant libraries.
• Service Delivery & Project Management: Manage workflows and timelines for client and internal discovery programs, ensuring all project deliverables are executed accurately and on time.
• Documentation & Quality Control: Maintain precise project documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and data logs; perform quality control evaluations (including NGS/Sanger sequencing analysis) on all generated libraries.

Qualifications

Education:

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, or a related life sciences discipline with 1–3 years of post-degree or industry experience; or
• M.S. in a relevant discipline with 5+ years of hands-on industry experience in antibody engineering or display technologies.

Core Technical Expertise:

• Proven track record of successfully constructing complex molecular libraries (synthetic, semi-synthetic, or immunized).
• Deep understanding of immunoglobulin gene structures, variable domain cloning (scFv, Fab, VHH/nanobodies), and CDR diversification strategies.
• Strong proficiency in advanced molecular cloning techniques, library QC metrics, and sequence analysis software.

Soft Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; adaptable, self-motivated, and enthusiastic about working in a tight-knit, agile team structure.

• CompensationCompetitive salary paired with performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance options.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Generous paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays.

Job Type:

Full-time

Annual Salary:

$110,000 - $135,000

Bonus:

Performance-based cash bonus: 10%