Exel

Senior Principal Scientist (Antibody Drug Conjugate)

Alameda, CA · Principal

Sponsorship not specified$170k-$240kDetected 4 days ago

PharmacologyGMPMass SpectrometryAnimal StudiesLeadershipCommunicationCollaborationProblem Solving

About the role

The base pay range for this position is $169,500 - $239,500 annually.
The base pay range may take into account the candidate's geographic region, which will adjust the pay depending on the specific work location.
The base pay offered will take into account the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, experience and internal equity, among other factors.

Design, execute and optimize ADC conjugation reactions at mg-to-multigram scale to support discovery screening, in vivo pharmacology and early CMC deliverables.
Optimize stoichiometry, linker chemistry, conjugation reaction conditions and buffer systems to control drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR), homogeneity, and aggregation.
Purify conjugates via FPLC, TFF/UF-DF, and preparative chromatography; develop and validate formulation buffers for bioconjugate stability.
Characterize ADCs by HIC, SEC, RP-HPLC, LC-MS (intact & reduced), and UV-Vis; interpret data to inform process and molecular design decisions.
Partner with analytical development to establish critical quality attributes (CQAs) and in-process controls for lead candidates.
Serve as the Biotherapeutics group's conjugation subject-matter expert (SME) on program teams; provide the go/no-go technical read on lead molecule DAR strategy, linker selection, and developability.
Help design and interpret in vitro bio-functional assays (efficacy, bystander, catabolite/metabolite ID, MoA studies) in collaboration with biology and DMPK teams to enable candidate selection.
Partner with Protein Science, ADC Chemistry, Analytical, DMPK, Toxicology and CMC/Process Development to deliver quality material on aggressive timelines.
Manage select CRO/CDMO relationships for outsourced conjugation, analytics or scale-up activities; support technology transfer.

BS/BA degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology or related discipline and a minimum of 13 years of related experience
MS/MA degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology or related discipline and a minimum of 11 years of related experience
PhD in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology or related discipline and a minimum of 8 years of related experience
It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

Hands-on mastery of ADC conjugation chemistry from discovery through early CMC, with a track record of advancing molecules to development candidate nomination.
Demonstrated experience in DAR control, product homogeneity optimization and formulation of bioconjugates.
Experience with site-specific conjugation platforms (e.g., engineered cysteine, THIOMAB, transglutaminase/AIICAP, glycan remodeling, sortase, click chemistry).
Experience with dual-payload conjugates, bispecific ADCs or AOCs.

Working knowledge of linkers (cleavable and non-cleavable), payload classes and their MoA.
Fluency with HIC, SEC, RP-HPLC and LC-MS for conjugate characterization.
Rigorous scientific problem-solving, excellent written and oral communication; proven collaborator across chemistry, biology and CMC.
Familiarity with early process development, tech transfer, and CDMO management for GLP/GMP supply.
Patents and peer-reviewed publications in bioconjugation.
Working knowledge of ADC IP landscape.
Modern, collaborative office and adjacent BSL-1/BSL-2 laboratory space at our Alameda, CA campus.
Routine handling of proteins, organic solvents, and cytotoxic linker-payloads under standard EH&S controls.
Travel up to 10% for conferences, CRO/CDMO site visits and collaborations.
BS/BA degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology or related discipline and a minimum of 13 years of related experience; or,
MS/MA degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology or related discipline and a minimum of 11 years of related experience; or,
PhD in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Biology or related discipline and a minimum of 8 years of related experience; or,

The base pay range for this position is $169,500 - $239,500 annually.
The base pay range may take into account the candidate's geographic region, which will adjust the pay depending on the specific work location.

Exelixis is expanding its Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) platform to advance a growing pipeline of oncology bioconjugates.
We are seeking a Senior Principal Scientist with deep expertise in conjugation chemistry to serve as the technical anchor for ADC generation, from discovery-scale screening through early process development and IND-enabling tox supply.
You will operate independently at the bench, shape platform strategy, and partner cross-functionally with antibody engineering, linker-payload chemistry, analytical development, DMPK, and CMC.

This listing is sourced directly from Exel's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.