Scientist II, Antibody Discovery

Company Description

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.

Role Description

The Scientist II, Antibody Discovery role at Stipple Bio is a PhD level scientist position within the Research department, reporting to the Director, Target & Antibody Discovery. This role is pivotal in advancing the company's mission to develop cancer therapies through innovative cellular profiling and epitope-level target and antibody discovery. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the position involves overseeing the antibody engineering efforts by integrating structural insights with biochemical and cellular characterization, collaborating across teams, and advancing antibody therapeutic candidates from discovery through preclinical development. It requires a blend of scientific expertise, critical thinking, and operational management to bridge antibody discovery and development candidate nomination in a dynamic biotech environment. This is a full-time, on-site position.

Job Duties

• Lead structure-guided antibody and protein engineering efforts
• Play a critical role in the design and discovery of antibody therapeutics across multiple modalities, including T Cell Engager (TCE), Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC), Bi- or Multi-specific Antibodies
• Design and execute functional and mechanistic characterization of therapeutic antibody candidates
• Collaborate seamlessly with Platform Technology, Antibody Discovery, Computational biology and Translational Biology teams to drive antibody characterization and engineering activities and advance discovery programs
• Develop and expand internal antibody discovery and engineering capabilities (e.g., affinity maturation)
• Contribute to drug target evaluation/prioritization and product concept development
• Analyze, interpret, and effectively communicate experimental data to the team; maintain data integrity, and detailed documentation
• Conduct and oversee research activities with external research organizations (CROs) as needed

Qualifications

Required

• Ph.D. in immunology, structural biology, protein engineering, biochemistry, or a related field with 2 years of biotech/pharma industry experience in drug discovery
• Strong antibody engineering skills with direct TCE/bispecific experience
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing tools for antibody discovery characterization, and optimization
• Scientifically rigorous with strong critical thinking skills
• Ability to effectively prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fluid, fast-paced work environment
• Experience demonstrating initiative, project leadership with in-depth scientific knowledge, and exceptional productivity
• A critical thinker with strong analytical, organizational skills
• Deep knowledge of T cell biology (e.g., TCR signaling and functional pathways) and/or cancer biology as demonstrated by successful projects, publications and contributions to scientific conferences
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and collaboration skills Excellent oral and written communication skills

Preferred

• Hands-on experience with multi-color flow cytometry
• Experience with CRISPR based methodologies
• Experience in surface display technologies (phage, yeast, mammalian etc.)

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.