What are the responsibilities and job description for the Scientist, Cancer Biology position at Stipple Bio?
About Stipple Bio:
Stipple Bio, Inc. is a private biotechnology company harnessing epitope-level precision to create targeted cancer therapies. We pioneered a Pointillist ‘epitomics’ discovery platform to unlock tumor-specific epitopes and develop a pipeline of next-generation precision oncology therapeutics with a high therapeutic index. Our lead candidate STP-100, designed to avoid on-target/off-tumor toxicity, is expected to enter clinical studies in early 2027. Stipple Bio is well capitalized and has announced a $100M Series A financing which supports the company into 2029.
Position Summary:
The Scientist, Cancer Biology role at Stipple Bio is PhD level scientist position within the Research department, reporting to the Director, Cancer Biology. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this individual will play a critical hands-on role in preclinical research for development of biologic cancer therapeutics including antibodies, ADCs, and TCEs. Critical thinking and ability to derive insights from data are key. The successful candidate will combine deep technical expertise with strong critical thinking, cross-functional leadership, and a sense of urgency and commitment to help Stipple Bio deliver patient life-changing medicines.
Job Duties:
- Drive cancer biology workstreams supporting target validation, mechanism of action elucidation, and lead candidate selection for biologic therapeutics including antibodies, ADCs, and TCEs
- Develop and implement novel in vitro cancer biology assays and functional models (e.g., 3D tumor models, primary cell co-cultures, immune cell killing assays, proliferation/apoptosis/cytotoxicity assays, flow cytometry-based assays, internalization studies) to identify and characterize therapeutic candidates
- Lead the design, execution, and interpretation of antibody discovery, characterization, and evaluation strategies for therapeutic programs, including binding, affinity, specificity, epitope mapping, and functional studies
- Partner with Translational Research, Antibody Discovery, and external collaborators and vendors (CROs) to integrate biology data with candidate selection criteria and indication selection strategies
- Author and present high-quality scientific reports, internal presentations, IND-enabling documentation, and external publications/presentations as appropriate
- Contribute to research strategy, project planning, and timeline development; identify, mitigate scientific risks, and provide technical and scientific guidance across project teams
Qualifications:
Required
- PhD in Cancer Biology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or a related scientific discipline, with 2 years of postdoctoral or biotech/pharma industry experience
- Strong track record of designing, executing, and interpreting cancer biology and cell-based assays (e.g., flow cytometry, cytotoxicity, internalization, immune cell co-culture)
- Deep hands-on expertise in antibody discovery, characterization, and/or functional evaluation of biologic therapeutics
- Demonstrated scientific leadership, including project ownership, cross-functional collaboration, and clear written and verbal scientific communication
- Record of scientific contribution (publications, patents, or program advancement)
- Proficiency in data analysis tools (e.g., FlowJo, GraphPad Prism) and rigorous experimental design and statistics
Preferred
- Direct experience with antibody-based therapeutic modalities (ADCs, TCEs, multispecifics, bispecifics) from discovery through lead optimization
- Expertise in tumor immunology, immuno-oncology, or tumor microenvironment biology
- Working knowledge of CRISPR-based methodologies, cell line engineering, and high-throughput screening approaches
- Experience with in vivo tumor model design, interpretation, and translation to clinical strategy
- Experience supporting or leading business development scientific diligence, in-licensing evaluation, or external collaborations
Personal attributes: team oriented, goal-driven, organized, highly collaborative, open-minded, data-driven, creative, persistent in the face of obstacles and uncertainty, flexible, self-aware of strengths and weaknesses, objective in the evaluation of data and strongly optimistic about overcoming challenges.