
Principal Scientist, Protein Biochemistry and Structural Biology
Required skills
- Structural Biology
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- protein purification
- construct design
- expression
- E. coli
- Insect
- Mammalian
- protein families
Nice to have
- X-ray crystallography
- Cryo-EM
- accompanying software
Role summary
Terray Therapeutics is seeking a Principal Scientist in Protein Biochemistry and Structural Biology with a PhD and 10+ years of experience. This full-time onsite role requires expertise in protein purification, construct design, and structural biology applications in drug discovery. The scientist will guide protein design and purification strategies, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, manage CRO relationships, and ensure protein quality. Experience with Benchling is required, and preferred qualifications include hands-on experience with X-ray crystallography and/or Cryo-EM. The role focuses on supporting assay development, target validation, and small molecule optimization using structural biology insights.
Position Summary: Terray Therapeutics is seeking a creative and experienced structural biologist/protein biochemist. This role will be full-time onsite. As a resident expert, the candidate will be expected to work across multidisciplinary teams to generate constructs and lead protein purification efforts that will support assay design and screening needs. Furthermore, the candidate will be expected to utilize structural biology to support target validation and optimization of small molecule hits from Terray’s proprietary EMMI platform. Successful candidate will have strong protein biochemistry/structural biology experience and understanding of strategic application of structural biology in drug discovery programs with demonstrated experience in utilizing proteins design that matches program needs.
The core responsibilities include:
- Leverage structural biology expertise to guide protein construct design and purification strategy across programs as well as assess current and future crystallography needs to enable programs or validate targets
- Partner closely with scientists across the company in biology, chemistry, platform, screening, data, and computational teams to understand and provide correct implementation of the constructs and purified proteins.
- Manage relationships and partnership protein needs across network of CROs
- Guide protein quality control and stability investigation of purified protein material to ensure consistence across assays and platform data
- Build effective protein management and protein organization workflow
- Maintain and manage protein inventory, registration within Benchling
- Apply effective protein design toward assay development (biochemistry vs biophysical assays)
Experience and Qualifications: Part of Terray's success is nurtured by a hands-on work environment where everyone is accountable, vested in a vision of excellence, and actively taking part in the success of the business. Terray supports a positive work environment where employees can feel engaged, recognized, and empowered to be creative.
Required Qualifications:
- PhD in either Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics or related field and at least 10 years of additional experience
- Extensive experience in protein purification. Ideal candidate will have experience in construct design, expression and protein purification in multiple systems (E. coli, Insect, Mammalian) and have investigated broad range of protein families
- Experience in leveraging structural biology and protein structure/function to evaluate novel drug targets and small molecule binding
- Ability to work in multidisciplinary, matrixed environment across multiple concurrent projects and programs
- Excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills
Preferred Qualifications:
- Ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in Structural Biology. Preferably, they would have used X-ray crystallography and/or Cryo-EM and accompanying software to investigate, analyze and assess small molecule binding to target of interest
Compensation Details: $180,000–$263,000 annually, depending on experience. Terray’s salary ranges are designed to be competitive and are benchmarked against market base salary plus bonus within our industry and market. We align pay to role scope, skill level, and impact.
We invest heavily in benefits because taking care of our people matters. Our programs are benchmarked at the top of the Southern California market and designed to provide meaningful support across every stage of life. Benefits include participation in the Company’s stock option plan, a 3% retirement safe harbor contribution, fully paid health, dental, vision insurance for our employees, spouse, partner and families as well as above-market life insurance, disability coverage, and much more to explore during the offer process.
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