Overview In this Principal Scientist role, you will lead integrated antibody discovery and engineering efforts from concept to lead nomination within Moderna's Therapeutics Research. You'll oversee discovery campaigns across oncology and autoimmune programs, shaping target strategies and antibody optimization. The role is hands-on and highly collaborative, guiding cross-functional teams and external partners to advance differentiated antibody therapeutics from idea to lead molecules.
Compensation / Benefits- competitive healthcare
- well-being resources
- family planning benefits
- generous paid time off including vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days
- discretionary year-end shutdown
- savings and investments
Responsibilities- Lead integrated antibody discovery and engineering campaigns from early concept through lead identification, optimization, and nomination
- Develop discovery strategies covering target/antigen evaluation, immunization design, B cell screening, display-based engineering, and data-driven lead selection
- Design, execute, and supervise antibody generation workflows including immunizations, B cell discovery, display campaigns, affinity maturation, humanization, format conversion, expression, purification, and characterization
- Engineer antibodies across multiple formats (IgG, Fab, scFv, bispecific/multispecific, T cell engagers, TCR engagers, CAR-T formats) and other novel modalities
- Characterize candidates with biochemical, biophysical, and functional assays to assess binding, developability, potency, and MOA
- Collaborate with antigen design, structural and computational biology, and project teams to advance programs from concept to lead molecules
- Analyze complex datasets, identify risks, and develop mitigation strategies guiding program decisions
- Monitor and translate advances in antibody discovery and engineering technologies into the pipeline
- Prepare technical reports and presentations for internal teams and leadership
- Lead cross-functional scientific discussions, manage external partners, and mentor junior scientists
Key requirements- PhD with 5+ years post-PhD industry experience in antibody discovery/engineering or biologics discovery
- Proven track record leading therapeutic antibody discovery campaigns from concept to lead/nomination
- Deep technical expertise in antibody biology, structure/function, discovery platforms, and optimization
- Hands-on experience with immunization-based discovery, antigen design, B cell screening, single-cell sorting, and repertoire analysis
- Strong expertise in display technologies for engineering, affinity maturation, and developability optimization
- Molecular biology and antibody engineering skills (cloning, library construction, sequence analysis, expression, purification, characterization)
- Experience with antibody characterization assays (affinity, epitope binning, specificity profiling, developability, Biacore, Carterra, Octet, ELISA, MSD, flow cytometry)
- Experience developing and troubleshooting functional cell-based assays for antibody discovery
- Proven ability to manage outsourced discovery/engineering/characterization workflows with CROs
- Strong project leadership and ability to manage multiple programs, timelines, stakeholders, and partnerships
- Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration in fast-paced environments
- Collaborative, proactive, resourceful approach to matrixed teams
- collaborative
- leadership
- strong communication
- antibody discovery and engineering
- immunization design and B cell screening
- display technologies (yeast/mammalian)
