Group Leader: Immunology/Cancer Immunotherapy

Xencor is an innovative, clinical-stage biotechnology company located in the Los Angeles area (near Pasadena) and in San Diego. We use our pioneering XmAb® technology to discover and develop better biotherapeutics – antibodies and other proteins with improved function – with the goal of improving patient outcomes and quality of life, and we have an excellent opportunity for a Group Leader: Immunology / Cancer Immunotherapy to join our team. 

Our capabilities and the modular nature of our technology allow us to quickly identify and create new platforms and drug candidates for potential development. We are developing a deep pipeline of novel drug candidates enabled by the rapid expansion of our bispecific technologies, and seven XmAb bispecific antibody programs are in clinical testing. We also leverage our many XmAb technologies by engaging in multiple collaborations with leading global biopharmaceutical companies, including Novartis, Amgen and Genentech, among others. Including our partners, over a dozen XmAb drug candidates are advancing through clinical development, and the first antibody that incorporates an XmAb technology has been approved for commercial marketing in the United States.

Our employees are the most important factor in our success and we have assembled a highly talented group from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to execute our business plan and shape our future. Xencor employees value new ideas and flexibility and demand from each other scientific rigor, a passion for innovation, and a willingness to take risks.

We are seeking a talented and motivated senior immunologist to join us in advancing our pipeline of first-in-class engineered bispecific antibodies and cytokine immunotherapies. You will provide scientific and technical leadership contributing to the development and characterization of novel immunotherapies from early discovery through preclinical development. You will lead a research team within the cell biology department to develop, execute, and analyze experiments to investigate drugs that modulate T cell, NK cell, and other immune cell functions.

The qualified candidate is an enthusiastic and creative scientist with a successful track record of independent investigation in a biotech or biopharma environment. Experience in management of laboratory scientists is required, as is proven leadership of cross-functional and collaborative drug discovery programs. An ideal candidate has experience in characterizing immune responses in both in vitro and in vivo studies using cell activation and cytotoxicity assays, cytokine profiling, and multi-color flow cytometry analysis.

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific and technical expertise to discover, evaluate, and advance novel immunotherapy drug candidates.
• Establish and apply in vitro and ex vivo model systems to identify and characterize drug candidates using high-throughput screening tools.
• Work in a highly collaborative environment to generate quality data, provide scientific insight and integrity, and communicate effectively with multidisciplinary project teams and senior management.
• Manage and lead a team of Scientists, Associate Scientists, and/or Research Associates in support of these goals.
• Prepare publications and technical reports for regulatory submissions, as well as oral presentations on research projects for both internal and external audiences.

Qualifications

• PhD in Immunology, Cancer Biology, or a related field, plus 5+ years of relevant post-PhD experience (including 3+ years industry experience) is required.
• Expertise in investigating immune cell responses and in vitro T cell and NK cell functional assays is required; experience with discovery and development of T cell and NK cell-targeted cancer therapeutics is strongly preferred.
• Expertise in multi-parameter flow cytometry, including data analysis and intracellular staining is required.
• Must demonstrate a track record of independent scientific achievement and problem-solving, through publications and/or advancement of drug candidates.
• Must demonstrate effective management and teamwork skills, with the ability to productively work with, lead, and mentor laboratory staff and research project teams

For consideration, please include a cover letter and resume.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.