Sr Scientist – Director, Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) Design and Delivery

Profluent is an AI-first protein design company. Founded in 2022, we develop deep generative models to design and validate novel, functional proteins to revolutionize biomedicine. Based in Emeryville, CA, we are backed by leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Bezos Expeditions, Spark Capital, Insight Partners, Air Street Capital, AIX Ventures, and Convergent Ventures, and have raised over $150M to date.

We are seeking a highly motivated and creative Sr Scientist–Director to establish and lead Profluent’s emerging LNP Design & Delivery group. As the founding member of this team, you will architect and own our liver-directed LNP platform while pioneering approaches for extrahepatic delivery. You will play a central role in advancing Profluent’s programmable gene-editing medicines from concept to in vivo proof-of-mechanism and ultimately toward clinical translation.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in designing, formulating, and characterizing LNPs for nucleic acid therapeutics, ideally including CRISPR-based payloads, and a track record of advancing delivery systems through preclinical development. This role offers a unique opportunity to drive innovation at the intersection of AI-driven protein design, next-generation gene editing technologies, and cutting-edge delivery science.

Responsibilities

LNP Design, Formulation & Optimization

• Lead end-to-end formulation, optimization, and characterization of LNPs for delivery of gene editing payloads (mRNA, gRNA, and/or emerging modalities).
• Establish robust formulation workflows including microfluidic mixing, nucleic acid loading, particle purification, etc.
• Develop and implement analytical methods to evaluate physicochemical properties (eg, size, PDI, encapsulation efficiency, payload integrity, stability, lipid composition, etc.).
• Design structure-function studies to understand how lipid composition, ratios, and/or targeting ligands influence delivery performance.
• Establish our foundational liver-targeted LNP platform and collaborate with our AI/ML group to engineer binding moieties for extrahepatic targeting.
• Collaborate closely with Cellular Models, In Vivo Pharmacology, and Gene Editing teams to evaluate transfection, in vivo biodistribution, editing efficiency, and functional outcomes.
• Benchmark LNP performance across rodent and/or NHP models to inform clinical relevance and therapeutic index.

Cross-functional leadership  

• Serve as the scientific authority on LNP design and delivery across the company, guiding platform strategy from Discovery through Development.
• Work with external collaborators, CROs, and CMO partners to support scale-up, CMC considerations, manufacturability, and regulatory-enabling activities.
• Communicate results, strategic insights, and program recommendations effectively to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Maintain deep awareness of emerging delivery modalities, LNP chemistry innovations, and novel targeting strategies.
• Mentor and grow a high-performing LNP team; supervise junior scientists and/or RAs as the group expands.
• Contribute to IP strategy and support patent filings related to novel formulations, lipid chemistries, or delivery approaches.

Qualifications (Must-Have)

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Biology, or related field - or equivalent industry experience.
• 4 years of industry experience with a track record of LNP design and optimization for nucleic acid therapeutics.
• Extensive hands-on experience with lipid nanoparticle formulation, characterization, and nucleic acid encapsulation, demonstrated success delivering payloads to hepatocytes in vivo.
• Extensive hands-on experience with LNP analytical characterization methods (eg, DLS, encapsulation assays, stability studies, polydispersity, LC/MS for lipid analysis, etc.).
• Proven track record of independently driving multifaceted research programs to deliver key milestones in fast-paced environments.
• Experience advancing LNP-based therapeutics toward IND or early clinical development.
• Experience working with NHP models, CRO management, and/or external manufacturing partners.
• Experience with CMC considerations for lipid synthesis, nanoparticle scale-up, and regulatory expectations for nucleic acid delivery systems.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to clearly articulate principles of formulation design, biological performance, risks, and trade-offs.
• Deep understanding of delivery challenges for gene editing therapeutics, including immune activation, endosomal escape, and biodistribution constraints.