Senior Scientist, Discovery Technologies

We are seeking a motivated and highly collaborative Senior Scientist to join FL129’s growing team of experimental and computational scientists to build a novel platform technology. The successful candidate will have a strong track record of scientific and technical innovation in molecular biology and small molecule screening, including experience adapting screens to cell- or surface-displayed protein targets. Additional experience with or exposure to yeast surface display, single-cell or genomics methods, and cheminformatics are preferred. The ideal teammate will be highly adaptable, have strong organizational and communication skills, and thrive in a highly collaborative and multidisciplinary environment.

About the role

This role is among the first hires at FL129, offering the opportunity to influence the company’s scientific direction and lay the foundation of a transformative platform. The position is custom-tailored to maximize impactful contributions, professional growth, and alignment with scientific interests.

Responsibilities

• Technology development aligned with FL129’s core strategic goals, including critical thinking to shape the company’s scientific direction.
• Design, construction, and experimental testing of custom target/variant libraries, including binding assays against cell- or surface-displayed protein targets.
• Optimize existing workflows and establish best experimental and documentation practices to enable platform excellence.
• Ensure rapid and accurate turnaround of data to drive achievement of key project goals.
• Translate experimental data into meaningful insights and present results at team meetings.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in molecular biology, systems biology, chemical biology, or a similar field with 5+ years of industry or postdoctoral experience.
• End-to-end experience with small molecule screening, from library design (including optimization of DNA tags for amplification, quantitation, and sequencing) to screening, next-gen sequencing, and data analysis.
• Experience managing contract research organizations (CROs).
• Motivated team-player with strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Skills

• Cheminformatics experience.
• On-DNA and off-DNA hit validation experience with DNA-encoded positive control and library compounds.
• Experience with surface display technologies, droplet-based screening and/or microfluidics, and single-cell or genomics methods.

Benefits

• Opportunity to lay the scientific foundation of a transformative platform company as an early employee.
• Weekly lunches, monthly social events, and a community lunchroom with free snacks and coffee.
• Access to a vibrant community of scientists and entrepreneurs across multiple Flagship Pioneering portfolio companies.
• Healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, and retirement benefits.

Pay

The salary range for this role is $126,000 - $181,500. Compensation will depend on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience.