Contract Scientist, Biophysical Chemistry

Posted: 2026-09-14

Location: South San Francisco, California

Company: Planet Pharma Group

Contact: Applications Email: applications@staffingfuture.com

Position Summary: The Contract Scientist, Biophysical Chemistry will play a pivotal role in performing biophysical characterization of proteins, bioconjugates, and protein/protein interactions within the Large Molecule Discovery – Biophysical Chemistry group. The scientist in this role will frequently interact with the Biophysical Chemistry, Antibody Discovery, and Bioconjugation team leaders and other scientists in a dynamic, team-oriented environment. The role will be responsible for maintaining lab instrumentation, ordering and preparing reagents, performing method development for biophysical techniques, screening and characterizing antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) molecules using various biophysical platforms. Roles and Responsibilities of the Position: Work with discovery, bioconjugation and protein engineering teams to support the design and execution of experiments for screening and characterizing biologicals comprised of antibodies, ADCs, and other modalities, created for treatment of several oncological indications Apply various analytical and biophysical techniques to provide comprehensive characterization of hits, leads and candidate molecules at various stages of discovery/development Use surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and Biolayer Interferometry (BLI) to characterize the kinetics and affinity of antibody/antigen interactions, epitope bins of antibodies, and blocking of receptor ligand interactions by antibodies. Support characterization of protein stability, purity and quality using a variety of techniques, such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS), capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF), differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), ion exchange chromatography (IEX), CE-SDS, and SDS-PAGE.Perform ELISA assays to support antibody discovery efforts. Collaborate with other teams across the company to provide biophysical solutions; efficiently analyze, collate, and disseminate data to deliver results to teams in a timely manner consistent with project timelines Clearly documenting experiments and results in electronic lab notebook entries Participate in periodic updates and team meetings, contributing data and insights that help inform research decisions.

Required Qualifications: BS or MS with 1+ years of relevant work experience (industry, academic, or research setting).Foundational understanding of the drug development process for biologics, with exposure to therapeutic antibodies and/or related modalities such as antibody conjugates, bispecifics, or multispecifics (e.g., through coursework, thesis research, or prior work experience).Familiarity with biophysical techniques used to characterize the stability, purity, and quality of biologics, such as size exclusion chromatography (SEC), differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF), ion exchange chromatography (IEX), CE-SDS, and SDS-PAGE. Hands-on experience with one or more of these techniques preferred. Exposure to techniques for characterizing biomolecular interactions (e.g., SPR, BLI, or ELISA), with the ability to learn and apply other relevant technologies for characterization of high/low affinities, active concentrations, cross-blocking, heterogeneities, and other product defining characteristics. Highly organized and detail-oriented, with strong analytical, documentation, and multi-tasking skills. Additional Preferences: Experience with any of the following: Biacore, Octet, and/or Maurice platforms Additional biophysical techniques such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), static light scattering (SLS), multi-angle light scattering (MALS), or capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF)Characterizing epitope binning, cross-blocking, or receptor-ligand blocking interactions using SPR/BLILaboratory automation for liquid handling and screening Spectroscopic techniques for characterization of biomolecules (e.g., UV/fluorescence)Data science and visualization software such as R, Spotfire, etc. Must have a can-do attitude to take on challenging projects and to meet project timelines Have excellent communication skills and strong organizational abilities Pay ~$35-40/hr based on experience