High Throughput Protein Display Platform Scientist

Company Description

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Are you interested in joining some of the brightest talent in the world to strengthen the United States’ security? Come join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where our employees apply their expertise to create solutions for BIG ideas that make our world a better place.

We are committed to a diverse and equitable workforce with an inclusive culture that values and celebrates the diversity of our people, talents, ideas, experiences, and perspectives. This is essential to innovation and creativity for continued success of the Laboratory’s mission.

Pay Range:

$148,650 - $190,932 Annually

Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. Many factors are taken into consideration when setting starting pay including education, experience, the external labor market, and internal equity.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Staff Scientist to join our team as a High Throughput Protein Display Platform Scientist. Our ideal candidate will have a strong background in protein engineering, display technologies (cell-based, phage-based, and/or cell-free), and the design and assembly of large variant libraries. If you are a self-motivated individual who thrives in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, and who is passionate about using display technologies to discover and optimize new proteins, we encourage you to apply. This position is in the Biosciences and Biotechnology Division.

You will:

• Develop and optimize high throughput protein display platforms to identify and optimize new proteins with desired properties.
• Design and construct libraries for display-based selection methods.
• Ideate and reduce to practice innovative approaches to massively parallel characterization of many antibody variants in parallel through novel adaptations of conventional library screening methods.
• Characterize protein-ligand interactions and screen protein libraries to identify and select high affinity binders.
• Work collaboratively with other scientists and research teams to integrate and apply display technologies to enhance drug discovery efforts.
• Document experimental data and results, and present findings to internal teams and external partners.
• Participate in preparing for annual safety inspections and maintaining a safe laboratory environment in collaboration with EH&S.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• PhD in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, synthetic biology, or a related field or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in display technologies (e.g., phage display, yeast display, bacterial display).
• Significant experience with design and/or assembly of large variant libraries (i.e. >106 variants).
• Advanced knowledge of protein engineering and biochemistry.
• Significant experience with protein-ligand interactions and screening assays.
• Familiarity with NGS-based approaches for variant library characterization.
• Ability to work collaboratively with researchers from diverse fields, including computational and experimental biologists, and provide scientific guidance, support, and leadership as needed.
• Advanced written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills necessary to deliver presentations, prepare written reports and to interact with a diverse set of scientists, engineers, and other technical and administrative staff.

Qualifications we desire:

• Experience with high-throughput methods and automation.
• Proficiency with modern methods of multi-component DNA assembly and cloning.
• Ability to distill esoteric and complex concepts for productive communication with vendors, sponsors, community members, and other stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of various in vivo and in vitro methods commonly used to screen large variant libraries.
• Experience developing and screening antibody display libraries.
• Experience designing, executing, and analyzing high-out NGS-based experiments on both short-read and long-read platforms.
• Strong leadership, communication, and project management skills.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Position Information

This is a Flexible Term appointment, which is for a definite period not to exceed six years. If final candidate is a Career Indefinite employee, Career Indefinite status may be maintained (should funding allow).

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity
• Our core beliefs - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/our-values
• Employee engagement - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/employee-engagement

Security Clearance

None required. However, if your assignment is longer than 179 days cumulatively within a calendar year, you must go through the Personal Identity Verification process. This process includes completing an online background investigation form and receiving approval of the background check. (This process does not apply to foreign nationals.)

Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

Pre-Placement Medical Exam

A job related pre-placement medical examination may be required.

Beware of Fraudulent Recruiting Advertisements. LLNL’s hiring practices:

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• Encourages all applicants to visit LLNL’s careers page at www.llnl.gov/join-our-team/careers if they saw the job posting on another site prior to applying to ensure the job posting is accurate and valid.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

We invite you to review the Equal Employment Opportunity posters which include EEO is the Law and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision.

Reasonable Accommodation

Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request.

California Privacy Notice

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants privacy rights to all California residents. The law also entitles job applicants, employees, and non-employee workers to be notified of what personal information LLNL collects and for what purpose. The Employee Privacy Notice can be accessed here.