Principal / Senior Principal Scientist, Small Molecule Therapeutics

Lila Sciences
Cambridge
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeFunction: Research & Scientific (R&D)Experience: 10+ yearsEducation: phdSkills: ["Strategic leadership","Cross-functional collaboration","Scientific judgment","Troubleshooting","Communication"]

Lead the protein science and structural biology strategy that enables small molecule therapeutics across the discovery platform. Own recombinant protein construct design and protein engineering, drive expression and purification workflows (including with external partners), and oversee structural enablement through X-ray crystallography and Cryo-EM where appropriate. Partner across screening, assay development, chemistry, and computational teams to deliver high-quality protein reagents for hit validation and structure-guided drug design, while building scalable internal capabilities and mentoring future team members.

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Lila Sciences
Lila Sciences
1 month ago

Principal / Senior Principal Scientist, Small Molecule Therapeutics

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Job Summary

Lead the protein science and structural biology strategy that enables small molecule therapeutics across the discovery platform. Own recombinant protein construct design and protein engineering, drive expression and purification workflows (including with external partners), and oversee structural enablement through X-ray crystallography and Cryo-EM where appropriate. Partner across screening, assay development, chemistry, and computational teams to deliver high-quality protein reagents for hit validation and structure-guided drug design, while building scalable internal capabilities and mentoring future team members.
Location: Cambridge
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Research & Scientific (R&D)
Seniority: Mid level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Lead protein science strategy for small molecule programs and ensure timely delivery of high-quality protein reagents for screening, assay development, biophysics, crystallography, Cryo-EM, and downstream validation.
  • •Oversee recombinant protein expression and purification efforts across external partners and CROs, including vendor selection, protocol review, troubleshooting, quality assessment, and timeline management.
  • •Develop and execute a roadmap to bring recombinant protein expression and purification capabilities in-house, including infrastructure, workflows, staffing, instrumentation, and quality standards.
  • •Lead construct design and protein engineering efforts to produce soluble, stable, active, and structurally tractable protein reagents across diverse target classes.
  • •Oversee outsourced X-ray crystallography and manage external Cryo-EM activities where appropriate, integrating structural insights into medicinal chemistry and establishing quality-control expectations for protein reagents.

Key Requirements

  • •PhD in biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biology, protein engineering, or related discipline with 10+ years of relevant drug discovery experience, or an MS/BS with 15+ years focused on protein chemistry and structural biology.
  • •Deep expertise in recombinant protein expression and purification across bacterial, insect, and mammalian systems.
  • •Experience designing and engineering protein constructs for biochemical assays, biophysical characterization, crystallography, and/or Cryo-EM.
  • •Strong track record supporting small molecule drug discovery programs through high-quality protein reagents and structural biology.
  • •Hands-on and strategic experience with protein purification workflows and quality assessment using methods such as SDS-PAGE, LC-MS, SEC/SEC-MALS, DSF, DLS, SPR, ITC, and MST.
Experience:10+ yearsDrug discoverySmall molecule therapeuticsStructural biology
Education:PhD / Doctorate in biochemistry, structural biology, molecular biology, protein engineering (or related discipline)
Skills:Strategic leadershipCross-functional collaborationScientific judgmentTroubleshootingCommunication
Languages:English
Tech Stack:Recombinant proteinProtein engineeringStructural biologyX-ray crystallographyCryo-EMSDS-PAGELC-MSSECSEC-MALSDSFDLSSPRITCMSTEnzyme activity assays

Company Brief

Lila Sciences
Develops AI-driven platforms to accelerate drug discovery and biological research by integrating machine learning with chemical and biological data to predict molecular properties, streamline candidate selection, and enable faster therapeutic development.
Industry: Biotech
Company Size: Small (11 to 50 employees)
Growth: Early Stage Startup
Funding: Seed
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