Senior/Principal Scientist, Discovery Biology

IGM is a biotechnology company pioneering the development of engineered IgM antibodies for the treatment of cancer patients. IgM antibodies have inherent properties that we believe may enable them to improve upon the efficacy and safety of IgG antibodies in multiple therapeutic applications.

We have created a proprietary IgM antibody technology platform that we believe is particularly well suited for developing T cell engagers, receptor cross-linking agonists and targeted cytokines. Our lead product candidate, IGM-2323, is a bispecific T cell engaging IgM antibody targeting CD20 and CD3, and we plan to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed/refractory B cell Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) patients in 2019. Our second product candidate is expected to be an IgM antibody targeting Death Receptor 5 (DR5).

The Discovery Biology group is seeking a Senior/Principal Scientist with deep experience in biologics, focused on antibody therapeutics. The ideal candidate will also have a solid background in the construction and characterization of bispecific antibodies, especially T-cell engagers. Prior experience with program leadership is preferred. This is a critical position in the Discovery Biology group and will have the opportunity to collaborate across groups to contribute to and lead multiple fast-moving bispecific IgM projects.

Responsibilities:

• Lead effort on new TAA X CD3 bispecific IgM project(s).
• Contribute to target selection and due diligence of candidate tumor associated antigens.
• Rapidly acquire expert knowledge on one or more tumor targets/therapeutic areas.
• Collaborate with molecular biology and protein production/purification/analytics teams to generate material for in vitro and early in vivo studies.
• Work extensively with internal and external collaborators to make and test competing bispecific molecules and keep abreast of literature and clinical trial data in field.
• Design and execute experiments for advanced in vivo studies in collaboration with preclinical sciences team.
• Collaborate with Process Sciences and Manufacturing team to build production cell lines.
• Generate reports for supporting IND filing and patents as program moves from Research to Manufacturing and Development.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in biological sciences or related fields with 6 + years of post-PhD experience in biopharma industry, preferably in a startup environment.
• Prior experience with generation of and optimization of biologics for multiple therapeutic indications.
• Demonstrated experience with all phases of preclinical research with antibody and antibody-like biologics – molecular biology, mammalian cell culture, transfection, protein production, purification, characterization using in vitro biochemical and cell biology assays.
• Prior knowledge and experience working with bispecific antibodies and sound understanding of T-cell biology.
• Excellent organization, interpersonal, and communication skills, ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to effectively mentor and develop Research Associates and lead projects in a matrix organization.
• Demonstrated track record of publications in top-tier journals and/or patents.
• Being a consummate team player and respectful of others is a must.
• Able to commute to Mountain View.

IGM is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status and veteran status. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.