Director, Protein Engineering and Structural Biology

Director, Protein Engineering and Structural Biology

Absci is a clinical‑stage biotechnology company advancing novel therapeutics using generative AI. Our Integrated Drug Creation™ platform combines cutting‑edge AI models with a synthetic biology data engine, enabling the rapid design of innovative therapeutics that address challenging therapeutic targets. Absci is a global company headquartered in Vancouver, WA, and maintains offices in New York City, Switzerland, and Serbia.

• Lead a multidisciplinary team focused on antibody engineering, structural biology, and binding characterization to support multiple internal and external drug‑creation programs.
• Mentor scientists and research associates, supporting technical development, scientific excellence, and career growth.
• Partner closely with the AI team to align experimental and computational strategies supporting Absci’s generative AI drug‑creation platform, including collaboration on model evaluation and establishment of in‑silico metrics to assess performance of de novo design and lead optimisation efforts.
• Serve as the protein engineering lead on cross‑functional project teams, partnering with computational biology, analytical development and translational teams to coordinate experiments and maintain alignment on timelines, resources and objectives.
• Regularly summarise and present data to internal and external stakeholders to support informed decision‑making to advance programmes.
• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and the competitive landscape in biologics discovery.

• Lead efforts to develop and optimise platforms for mAb and multispecific therapeutics, from design to production, testing, and evaluation.
• Rationally design molecules, perform antigen/antibody structural analyses to recommend residue‑level changes that improve interaction function, specificity, stability, and manufacturability.
• Design and implement binding and biophysical assays to assess the mutation impacts on protein structure and function.
• Coordinate closely with Absci teams to ensure high‑quality protein expression, purification, and biophysical characterization of complex biologics and antigens.
• Partner with Translational biology teams to provide mechanistic insight into target biology and antibody–target interactions, supporting target assessment and MOA understanding.

• PhD in life sciences with 8+ years of experience (including 5+ years in biopharma or biotech) or MS with equivalent experience.
• Proficiency in protein structure–function analysis and computational modelling (e.g., Schrödinger, MOE, Rosetta), with hands‑on experience designing and optimising bispecific and multispecific antibodies.
• Deep understanding of antibody structure‑function relationships, sequence optimisation, and expression/purification workflows.
• Experience in binding and interaction analyses (e.g., BLI, SPR) and/or biophysical characterization techniques (e.g., analytical SEC, DSF, DLS).
• Familiarity with Fc engineering, half‑life extension strategies, antibody develop ability, and immunogenicity assessment.
• Experience in deploying AI/ML models for protein sequence and structure analysis to enable biologics design and optimisation is a plus.
• Demonstrated success progressing one or more biologics programmes to the lead‑candidate stage.
• Experience managing teams of PhD‑level scientists and research associates.
• Track record of peer‑reviewed publications and/or patent filings.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.

The salary range for this position is $165,000–230,000 per year. The range is provided as a reasonable estimate for the base salary at the time of posting; actual base salary will be based on skills, competencies, experience and other job‑related factors permitted by law.

Absci offers highly competitive salaries and benefits, including medical, dental, vision insurance, unlimited vacation, parental leave, employee assistance programme, voluntary life and disability insurance, annual bonus potential and 401(k) with a generous company match.

Legal authorisation to work in the United States is required. Absci is committed to equal employment opportunity and non‑discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person’s race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should request the recruiter or hiring manager or contact