Senior Research Associate, Protein Science Developability

Lila Sciences•Cambridge, MA

6d•$80,000 - $102,000

About The Position

Lila Sciences is seeking an experienced Senior Research Associate specializing in Protein Purification, Analytics and Developability to support the build-out and day-to-day operation of a high-throughput protein characterization platform. In this role, you will contribute directly to the development of Lila's Scientific Superintelligence platform by executing and optimizing biophysical characterization workflows, collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams, and ensuring high-quality, reproducible data generation.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or a related discipline with 2-5+ years of hands-on industry or academic experience in protein production and characterization.
Proven hands-on experience with HPLC techniques such as SEC, HIC, and affinity purification methods.
Familiarity with biophysical characterization techniques including DLS, DSF, BLI/SPR, CE-SDS, cIEF or similar analytical methods.
Experience with liquid handling automation and high-throughput formats.
Familiarity with laboratory data analysis, digital recordkeeping (e.g., Benchling, electronic lab notebooks), and collaborative scientific workflows.
Outstanding troubleshooting skills, adaptability, and ability to drive innovation in experimental design.
Strong communication skills and an eagerness to collaborate within a fast-paced, cross-functional team.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with laboratory automation and high-throughput screening technologies.
Data analysis using relevant software (Python, R, or similar).
Experience with protein post-translational modification analysis workflows.

Responsibilities

Execute and optimize high-throughput workflows for protein characterization across a wide range of modalities, including antibodies, bi-specifics, and enzymes.
Operate and maintain automated chromatography systems, including Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography (HIC), and affinity chromatography using HPLC platforms.
Perform biophysical characterization using techniques such as Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), melting temperature analysis (DSF), binding assays (BLI/SPR), capillary electrophoresis (CE-SDS, cIEF) and more, to assess protein critical quality attributes
Support workflows to characterize protein post-translational modifications (PTMs), ensuring comprehensive sample preparation and accurate data capture.
Collaborate closely with scientists, engineers, and automation experts to identify and implement improvements in efficiency, robustness, and scalability of developability workflows.
Innovate and adapt protocols to accommodate new protein formats, targets, and analytical strategies.
Ensure data quality, documentation, and reproducibility in all experiments; actively contribute to knowledge sharing and continuous improvement initiatives.
Collaborate with computational scientists to support data analysis pipelines, data processing, and the development of predictive models for protein characteristics.