Experimental Protein Associate Scientist / Biochemist - Center for Protein Design

Be at the forefront of the AI and protein design revolution (recognized by the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry) and contribute to developing next-generation therapies for children. Top-tier compensation and benefits, supportive and collaborative team environment with strong mentoring opportunities and exciting potential for career advancement.

The World's Brightest Minds Always Innovate

At St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, we know what can be achieved when the brightest scientific minds face the fewest barriers. That's why we provide world-class facilities. State-of-the-art technologies. Extraordinary support. And a collaborative, bench-to-bedside environment where you can see, firsthand, how your science translates into survival for the children we serve. Quite simply, at St. Jude, we encourage you to dream big and stop at nothing when it comes to finding cures and saving children.

• Are you passionate about innovative research that has the potential to dramatically improve patients' lives and change the world?
• Are you excited to push the envelope in what AI-guided protein design can do in medicine?
• Do you love developing and conducting challenging protein functional assays, striving for efficiency and automation?
• Do you want to pursue new frontiers in systems-level biological design (e.g., redesigning metabolic and signaling networks in cells)?
• Are you motivated by a fast-paced collegial environment with a diversity of technical expertise and a strong emphasis on creative and rigorous science?
• Is open communication one of your strengths? Do you proactively address issues head-on?

If you've answered "yes" to all of these, then we'd love to meet with you!

Overview:

The newly opened Center for Protein Design at St Jude is looking to expand our world-class team with an accomplished associate scientist.

As a biochemist in the Center for Protein Design, you will be leading the experimental side of several protein design research programs, including devising and executing accurate and high-throughput assays to validate proteins with new functions in vitro and in vivo. Working hand in hand with our computational protein design team, you will play a critical scientific leadership role in protein design projects, from the conceptual phase through validation and translation.

As the Center for Protein Design continues to grow, you will also have the opportunity to participate in the development of a state-of-the-art robotic platform for the expression and high-throughput characterization of our designer proteins.

Attributes of Successful Candidates:

• A desire to actively participate in computational protein design research programs from start to finish, with a focus on successful outcomes.
• Exceptional biochemical skills with a strong attention to detail and perseverance to obtain solid experimental results.
• A proactive, fast learner who can operate independently and possesses strong communication skills.
• A leader (vs. follower) with a contagious 'can-do' attitude.
• Excellent organization and presentation skills coupled with a collaborative attitude.

Opportunities for Professional Growth:

• You will have the opportunity to take an active leadership role within the Center for Protein Design as it expands.
• As an integral and critical member of the Center for Protein Design at St Jude, you will also be able to participate in internal meetings and interact with other groups and faculty at St Jude to advance applications of protein design. You will be working alongside internationally recognized scientists who are leaders in such disciplines as AI/machine learning (Dr. Madan Babu), NMR (Dr. Charalampos Kalodimos), cryo-EM/ET (Dr. Elizabeth Kellogg and Dr. Georgios Skiniotis), single-molecule experiments (Dr. Scott Blanchard), and more.
• You will also collaborate with the wider community at St Jude (such as the Departments of Immunology, Host-Microbe Interactions, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Chemical Biology and Therapeutics), which is full of very smart, helpful, and fun individuals with unique and diverse scientific strengths.
• The candidate will be given opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary scientific research and be mentored in developing leadership skills.
• You will have opportunities to attend scientific conferences surrounding the fields of protein and systems design, such as the Gordon Research Conferences, RosettaCON, and SynBioBeta.
• Through the extensive links Dr. Zanghellini has nurtured with industry, you will also gain exposure to the biopharma and venture capital ecosystems.

About the Center for Protein Design:

The Center for Protein Design is a new institutional center established in November 2024 and housed in the Center of Excellence for Data-Driven Discovery within the Structural Biology department at St Jude. The Center is led by Dr. Alexandre Zanghellini, Executive Fellow at St Jude. Dr. Zanghellini has 20 years of experience in protein design, including academia with Nobel Laureate Dr. David Baker, where his seminal contributions to the field of enzyme design were cited more than 3000 times, and in industry as CEO of Arzeda, a venture-backed protein design company he co-founded that translates protein design innovations into successful commercial products.

The Center for Protein Design's mission is to advance our understanding of protein structure-function relationships to design proteins and cell therapies that restore hope against catastrophic pediatric diseases. We use cutting-edge deep learning, biophysics, and experimental approaches to develop new functional proteins for protein and cell therapies, including enzyme therapeutics, gene editing systems, and CAR-T cell engineering. The Center is also pushing the boundaries in the development of new methodologies for computational protein design, leveraging the large amount of data generated by various groups and departments at St. Jude.

As an institutional center, the Center for Protein Design collaborates across many departments at St. Jude, including Structural Biology, Immunology, Host-Microbe Interactions, and Pharmacology. The Center for Protein Design is a highly interdisciplinary environment that marries basic science with a strong translational component, leveraging St Jude Research Hospital's cGMP manufacturing and clinical expertise.

About St Jude:

St Jude Children's Research Hospital is consistently named as one of Fortune magazine's "Best Companies to Work for" and top 10 "Best Places to Work in Academia" by The Scientist Magazine. St. Jude is located in Memphis, Tennessee, the 28th-most populous city in America. Memphis is a historic city with an affordable cost of living and world-class dining, along with a strong cultural tradition in music and theater. Memphis enjoys a mild, sunny climate year-round and has some of the largest outdoor green spaces of any big city.

St. Jude Employees receive:

• St Jude offers a well-defined career ladder with potential for growth and advancement. Industry-competitive salaries are based on your degree and years of experience.
• Excellent healthcare plans with zero to low health premium costs.
• Generous retirement benefits with contributions from St. Jude.
• On-site health clinic, pharmacy, and exercise facilities.
• Paid parental leave and adoption assistance.
• Immigration services.
• For a complete description of our benefits, click here.

The Center for Protein Design is committed to building a lab culture that is rooted in respect, diversity, and inclusion. This foundation promotes a dynamic, innovative, and impactful scientific environment driven by empathy and intellectual curiosity.

Minimum Education and/or Training:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific area.
• PhD in biochemistry or protein science is preferred.

Minimum Experience:

• 7 + years of research experience is required with a Bachelor's degree.
• 5 + years of research experience is required with a Master's degree.
• 2 + years of research experience is required with a PhD.
• A proven track record in DNA cloning, protein expression and purification, assay development (LC/GC-MS, HPLC, Spectrophotometry) is highly preferred.

Ideal Candidate:

• Experience in protein design and engineering.
• Experience with yeast, phage or ribosome display or development of high-throughput screens and selection systems in bacterial or mammalian cells.
• An outstanding academic and professional track record of achievements.
• Biotechnology industry experience, especially with the development of automation and data management systems.
• Independence, critical thinking, and experience with mentoring and collaborative interdisciplinary work.

This Position May be Suitable For:

• Recent graduates or postdocs from leading biochemistry, enzymology and protein science academic labs.
• Scientists from the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry that wish to marry academic research with translational opportunities in biologics drug development.

The World's Best Stop at Nothing

There's a reason St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is consistently ranked on Glassdoor's "Best Places to Work" list. Actually, there are more than 5,500 reasons. At our world-class pediatric research hospital, every one of our 5,500 professionals shares our commitment to making a difference in the lives of the children we serve. There's a unique bond when you are part of a team that will stop at nothing to advance the treatments and cures of pediatric catastrophic diseases. The result is a collaborative, positive environment where all employees, regardless of their role, receive the resources, support, and encouragement to advance and grow their careers.

Compensation
In recognition of certain U.S. state and municipal pay transparency laws, St. Jude is including a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This is an estimate offered in good faith and a specific salary offer takes into account factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $65,520 - $114,400 per year for the role of Experimental Protein Associate Scientist / Biochemist - Center for Protein Design.

Explore our exceptional benefits!

St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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