Senior/Principal Research Associate, Protein Sciences

Are you excited about getting in on the ground floor of a startup company poised to revolutionize small molecule drug discovery? At Kimia Therapeutics we are building a next generation drug discovery engine by combining high-throughput chemistry and screening with state-of-the-art computational approaches to accelerate the discovery of novel drugs. We are seeking passionate drug hunters to help build the future of drug discovery and create breakthroughs for  challenging targets implicated in cancer and immune disorders. At Kimia we look for collaborative teammates who are motivated by our mission and would like to play an impactful role in the growth and success of an emerging pharmaceutical company.
Position SummaryAs a Senior/Principal Research Associate, you will play a key role in the production and characterization of protein reagents to support downstream HT-SAR and structural biology efforts for Kimia’s internal drug discovery programs. In this role, you will express, purify, and characterize proteins or protein-ligand complexes using a variety of chromatographic strategies. The candidate will routinely evaluate protein reagent quality by SDS-PAGE, analytical chromatography, mass spectrometry, and functional assays. This is an exciting opportunity to join a startup company and discover novel therapies for cancer patients.

Responsibilities

• The successful candidate will play an important role in supporting Kimia’s protein sciences functions. In this role you will:
• Be responsible for the production (from gene design to expression and purification) and analytical characterization of recombinant proteins from bacterial and insect cells
• Responsible for preparing and autoclaving media and buffers
• Independently perform complex experiments, manage and analyze experimental data, interpret results, and present data to senior leadership
• Actively participate across multiple programs to advance Kimia’s mission
• Explore and evaluate new technologies related to protein sciences and contribute to long-term activity planning

Experience and Skills

• BS or Master’s in Protein Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Bioengineering or other related disciplines with a minimum of 4 or 2 years of experience in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry setting, respectively
• Proficiency in large-scale expression and purification of challenging recombinant proteins; multi-protein complexes and membrane protein experience is a plus
• Expertise in a wide range of molecular biology skills including PCR-based methods, vector design, and related software
• Experience in characterizing protein reagent quality and function through analytical (DLS, HPLC, IEF, MS), biochemical (enzymatic assays, TR-FRET) and biophysical assays (SPR, BLI, ITC) is strongly desired
• Experience in the design and execution of high-throughput biochemical assays is a plus
• Documented ability to contribute and communicate impactful scientific findings
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team

We offer a vibrant startup environment where every member of the Kimia team plays an important role in shaping our science and our culture. Kimia offers competitive pay, participation in our stock option plan, and comprehensive benefits. Kimia is proud to be equal opportunity employer and will consider all applicants for employment.
Full vaccination against COVID-19 is a condition of employment at Kimia. If you are unable to receive a COVID-19 vaccine due to a disability, or serious medical condition, or because it would violate your sincerely held religious belief, you will have an opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation.