Director, Protein Engineering - Soleil Labs, LLC

Director  Protein Engineering

September 2024

Department:  Technology

Work Location:  Corporate Headquarters (South San Francisco)

Position Summary

TCG Labs-Soleil is seeking an exceptional and experienced scientist and leader to join our growing multidisciplinary biologics Technology team to head the Biologics Engineering group.  As a member of a cross-disciplinary team of scientists, the Director of Biologics Engineering will be responsible for protein design and engineering of our broad portfolio of biologics modalities, including establishing and developing best practices, implementing automation execution, deployment and cross-training of structure-based, sequence-based, and AI/ML guided methods. The position reports into the CTO of TCG-Labs Soleil.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach a high performing team within the technology group that is focused on engineering of therapeutic biologics using both computational modeling and molecular evolution technologies
• Establish and implement library display approaches (phage, yeast,  mammalian) to enable antibody discovery and lead candidate optimization by engineering to address sequence liabilities, affinity maturation, and/or humanization of therapeutic candidates  
• Lead-from-the-bench and champion efforts to advance therapeutic discovery programs as well as various technology and automation platform needs to support our biotherapeutics research
• Manage priorities, resources and investments aligned with TCG Labs-Soleil therapeutic strategies
• Effectively partner across multidisciplinary interfaces to achieve organizational objectives
• Responsible to lead direct report(s) through annual goal setting, growth planning, adherence to company policies, maintain training compliance and provide ongoing feedback on growth, development and areas of improvement

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in relevant area with 12+ years’ experience post-graduation, with significant experience in biologics therapeutic development in industry
• Proven track record of advancing biotherapeutic programs from early therapeutic discovery to development candidate selection by driving scientific and platform innovations
• Significant expertise in antibody and protein discovery,  design and optimization utilizing phage display methods.
• Broad experience in protein and antibody engineering including sequence-based, structure-based, and/or AI-based
• Extensive hands-on experience in engineering therapeutic biologic formats including multispecific antibodies, fusion proteins, and various Fc engineering strategies
• Expert-level knowledge of protein sequence and structure-based bioinformatics and other software tools to drive protein structure-based design and engineering including but not limited to Rosetta or similar 
• Strong leadership skills and significant experience managing direct reports as well as cross-functional teams to guide and progress therapeutic discovery and optimization
• Broad experience with applying automation to streamline various aspects of therapeutic candidate discovery and development  is highly desired
• Working knowledge in biologics expression, purification, functional screening assays, and developability assessments
• Candidates with project leadership experience and a deep understanding of biologics drug discovery and development processes are preferred and will be prioritized

• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Comfortable to work in fast-paced work environments

Company Overview

TCG Labs-Soleil, established in partnership with The Column Group, a science-focused venture capital firm, is pioneering a novel ‘venture capital-biotech’ model. Our core mission is to efficiently translate scientific insights into therapeutic solutions for patients facing serious diseases. This model supports scientific entrepreneurs from the initial idea to clinical proof of concept (PoC) by combining a dedicated fund (TCG Labs) with our independent, evergreen R&D center led by a top-tier scientific team (Soleil). Together, we create an integrated ecosystem that fosters the development of single-asset portfolio companies, strategically poised for transacting after clinical PoC.

For more details, visit TCGLSoleil.com and follow us on LinkedIn

EEO Statement

TCG Labs-Soleil is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate against qualified applicants based upon any protected group status, including but not limited to race, religion, color, creed, sex (including breastfeeding and related conditions), gender identity/gender expression, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disability or medical condition as defined by applicable equal opportunity laws. Any request for accommodation can be directed to contact@tcglsoleil.com. 

Benefits and Compensation 

TCG Labs-Soleil provides a competitive benefits package that includes access to Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Short and Long Term Disability, Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 401k plan and PTO.

The anticipated salary range for fully qualified candidates applying for this role will be $168,000 - $300,000 annually (not including discretionary bonus, equity, and benefits). The final salary offered will be dependent on several factors that include but are not limited to relevant previous experience including duration and type of experience within the industry, education, and internal equity.

Staffing Agencies

TCG Labs-Soleil does not accept unsolicited agency resumes and will not pay fees to any third-party agency or firm that doesn’t have a signed agreement with TCG Labs-Soleil. Please do not send agency CVs/resumes through TCG Labs-Soleil website or TCG Labs-Soleil Employees.  Inquiries must be sent to contact@tcglsoleil.com with the Subject Heading:  Staffing Agency Request.