What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Scientist I/II, Bioconjugation position at CytomX Therapeutics, Inc.?
Headquarters Location: South San Francisco, CA, moving to Emeryville, CA mid 2026
Candidate Location: Hybrid
Travel Required: 5-10%
Reports To: VP, Protein Sciences & Early CMC
Department: Protein Sciences & Early CMC
Position Type: Full-time, Exempt
About CytomX Therapeutics:
CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. is committed to changing the treatment of cancer with our novel PROBODY® therapeutic platform. Our commitment to transforming lives with safer, more effective therapies is driven by our curiosity and passion for innovation and our belief that by acting with integrity in an honest, respectful, ethical manner, we have the power to change lives. Our workplace embodies collaboration, open communication, celebrating our successes, and holding each other to the highest possible standards. CytomX’s robust and differentiated pipeline comprises therapeutic candidates across multiple treatment modalities including antibody-drug conjugates (“ADCs”), T-cell engagers, and immune modulators such as cytokines. CytomX’s clinical-stage pipeline includes CX-2051 and CX-801. Learn more at www.cytomX.com.
Who You Are and What You’ll Do:
You are passionate about life sciences and making a difference to cancer patients, their families, and healthcare providers. You will be responsible for
- Developing robust research scale conjugation process to support multiple PROBODY Drug Conjugate (PDC) discovery programs.
- Developing novel conjugation strategies/technologies to generate cutting-edge PDCs for the treatment of various cancers.
- Developing strategies for the chemical synthesis of novel linker payloads for PDCs
- Working closely with the CMC team to transition the PDCs into clinical development
Job Responsibilities:
- Lead the bioconjugation group to support the discovery pipeline PDC programs.
- Lead the CytomX bioconjugation lab move to Emeryville site in Q3, 2026
- Develop robust research scale conjugation processes for various random and site-specific conjugation technologies.
- Develop methods and strategies for next generation PDCs (dual-payload, bispecific, etc)
- Develop analytical methods to fully characterize PDCs.
- Develop gram scale conjugation process for PDCs to support Cyno tox studies.
- Provide scientific input to CROs for synthetic chemistry involving payloads and linker payloads
- Work collaboratively with members of Oncology Research and provide technical and scientific guidance.
- Work collaboratively with CMC group to transition the conjugation process and analytics from discovery to development.
- Support the Late-stage CMC activities for CX-2051 PDC program as needed
- Manage the PDC workflow by prioritizing the needs from Oncology Research and CMC
- Organize data and communicate results in internal and external scientific meetings
Minimum Qualifications:
- For Senior Scientist I: PhD in Chemistry, Biochemistry or Protein Chemistry or related discipline with 4 years of experience in the biotechnology or biopharma industry with increasing responsibility
- For Senior Scientist II: PhD in Chemistry, Biochemistry or Protein Chemistry or related discipline with 6 years of experience in the biotechnology or biopharma industry with increasing responsibility
- Hands-on experience in developing high-throughput conjugation methods is required.
- Strong chemistry knowledge to help in optimization and validation of synthetic routes applicable for synthesis of payloads and linker-payloads is required.
- Hands-on experience in bioconjugation methods (lysine, inter-chain cysteine and/or site-specific cysteine and others) is required.
- Experience in synthesis, purification and characterization of ADCs on research scales (0.5 – 15 mg) and medium scales (500 mg-1 g) is required.
- Experience in development of purification strategies to fractionate conjugated and unconjugated proteins and antibodies using various chromatographic and filtration techniques is required.
- Expertise in analytical and biophysical characterization of ADCs including HIC, SEC, RP-HPLC, CE-SDS, ELISA, Biacore and DSC is required.
- Must have outstanding communication (oral and written) and presentation skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Knowledgeable about the current status and the future of ADCs in treating diseases.
- Experience in transitioning the ADCs from discovery to IND is preferred.
- Experience in developing and executing procedures and protocols and preparing summary reports is preferred.
How You Will Work:
- Demonstrates collaboration and teamwork. Works well with others and understands that collaboration leads to better results.
- Possesses strong communication skills. Communicates clearly, concisely, and professionally. Listens actively to build understanding.
- Exhibits strong interpersonal skills and self-awareness. Build and cultivate strong and enduring relationships with others. Acts with humility and understands own strengths and weaknesses.
- Shows continuous improvement and a commitment to self-management and development. Operates with a continuous improvement mindset and continuously seeks to expand own knowledge and capabilities.
- Demonstrates a patient focus. Put the patient first in actions and decisions taken.
- Demonstrates ability and commitment to building effective teams. Attracts, develops, and retains diverse top talent. Aligns, mobilizes, and engages others to achieve and sustain peak performance.
- Has a track record of driving vision and purpose in teams.
Compensation, Benefits, and So Much More
- The expected salary range for this role based on the primary location for this position in California is Senior Scientist I: $150,000 - $175,000 per year and Senior Scientist II: $165,000 to $190,000 per year. Offer amounts are determined by factors such as experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law.
- A great environment where we work collaboratively, leverage each other’s strengths, and work toward a shared vision with our common goals of doing the best thing for patients.
- A robust and enduring approach to your development and career growth fueled by a strong learning curriculum and career guidance that helps you understand how you can grow your career at CytomX.
- A robust and highly competitive total rewards program that helps you achieve your compensation goals while supporting a great work / life balance.
Conditions of Employment
- Background investigations are required for all positions at CytomX, consistent with applicable law.
CytomX’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)
CytomX believes that DEIB helps drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. We are an equal opportunity employer committed to building an inclusive, innovative work environment with employees who reflect our values and ultimately, serve our patients. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
Further, we are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we (and the agencies we work with) will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation, or need other assistance in applying for or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to Human Resources, at hr@cytomx.com
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Salary : $150,000 - $190,000