Kelly® Science & Clinical is seeking an Associate Director/Director of Protein Engineering for a direct hire opportunity with a generative AI biotechnology company in Vancouver, WA. If you’re passionate about bringing the latest scientific discoveries to life and are ready to take the next step in your career, trust The Experts at Hiring Experts.
Workplace: Onsite in Vancouver, WA
Salary: $165,000-230,000
Overview
We are partnering with a leading biotechnology firm seeking an accomplished leader to drive innovation at the intersection of antibody engineering, structural biology, and AI-powered biologics discovery. You’ll head a world-class team advancing both internal and partnered drug creation programs, fueling our mission through scientific excellence, strategic vision, and collaborative cross-functional leadership.
We are hiring at both the Director and Associate Director levels, based on your experience:
Associate Director: Hands-on leader with a proven ability to drive protein engineering or structural biology initiatives, contribute to pipeline milestones, and lead project teams.
Director: Strategic leader with broad, impactful experience shaping scientific direction across multiple platforms and projects, inspiring high-performing teams, and influencing organizational strategy.
What You’ll Do:

• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary scientists in antibody engineering, structure-guided design, and biophysical characterization to accelerate drug development.
  

• Collaborate closely with computational and AI teams to integrate experimental and in silico approaches—evaluating models, establishing performance metrics, and advancing generative AI drug-creation platforms.
  

• Serve as a protein engineering expert on cross-functional teams, collaborating across computational biology, analytics, and translational sciences.
  

• Drive platform development for monoclonal and multispecific antibody therapeutics, from rational design through optimization and characterization.
  

• Spearhead binding and biophysical assay development, leveraging deep expertise in protein structure–function analysis to optimize biologic candidates.
  

• Stay at the cutting edge of technologies and competitive trends, informing innovation and pipeline strategy.
  

• Communicate program progress and scientific insights clearly to diverse internal and external stakeholders.
  

• Collaborate across disciplines on mechanistic studies, supporting target assessment and antibody mode-of-action elucidation.

Your Background:

• PhD in life sciences (8+ years relevant experience; 5+ in biotech/biopharma) or MS with equivalent accomplishments.
  

• Recognized expertise in antibody engineering, protein structural analysis (e.g., Schrödinger, MOE, Rosetta), and hands-on design/optimization of complex biologics.
  

• Deep knowledge of protein engineering workflows—expression, purification, binding, and biophysical analyses (BLI, SPR, SEC, DSF, DLS).
  

• Familiarity with Fc engineering, developability, half-life extension, and immunogenicity assessment.
  

• Experience deploying or integrating AI/ML for protein design is a plus.
  

• Proven track record of advancing biologics candidates, managing scientific teams, publishing peer-reviewed work, and/or filing patents.
  

• Outstanding communication, mentorship, and collaborative skills.

Join us and help shape the future of AI-enabled biologics discovery!
What happens next:
Once you apply, you’ll proceed to the next steps if your skills and experience look like a good fit. But don’t worry – even if this position doesn’t work out, you’re still in our network. That means our team of expert Science & Clinical recruiters will have access to your profile, making your opportunities limitless.
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