Principal Scientist, Immunology (Non-Immune Cell Biology)

About the Role

We are seeking a highly motivated and innovative Principal Scientist to join our Immunology Discovery team. In this pivotal role, you will lead research efforts focused on understanding the complex crosstalk between non-immune cells (such as fibroblasts, epithelial, and endothelial cells) and the immune system, with specialized expertise in cell profiling, primary cell function and pharmacodynamic (PD) assay development, validation, and implementation. Your work will directly drive the discovery and development of novel therapeutics, including monoclonal antibodies, multi-specifics, and antibody-based modalities, targeting autoimmune, inflammatory, and fibrotic diseases.

As a subject matter expert in non-immune cell biology within an immunological context, you will spearhead target identification, validation, and the development of translational assays to advance our robust pipeline of next-generation immunotherapeutics.

Key Responsibilities

• Assay Development: Design, optimize, and execute complex in vitro and ex vivo primary cell assays (e.g., co-culture systems, organoids) to model tissue-specific immune responses and evaluate the efficacy of novel biologics in vertical and parallel targeting strategies. Develop, validate and implement pharmacodynamic (PD) assay and analyze complicated data using specialized software and interpret results to generate data-driven scientific conclusions and actionable recommendations.

• Comprehensive profiling: apply advanced techniques (eg. Multi-color flow cytometry) to perform cell phenotyping, and functional analysis of various non-immune cell subsets from preclinical animal models and human samples.

• Methodology: establish and standardize SOPs for immunology and PD assays to ensure data accuracy, reproducibility, and lab efficiency.

• Scientific Leadership: Serve as the in-house expert on non-immune cell biology (stromal, epithelial, endothelial) and their role in immune regulation, tissue homeostasis, and pathology (e.g., fibrosis, chronic inflammation, allergy and autoimmunity).

• Prepare detailed scientific reports, study protocols, and regulatory documentation; present research findings to internal leadership, cross-functional teams, and external partners; contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations, and patent applications.

• Target Discovery & Validation: Identify and validate novel therapeutic targets that modulate stromal-immune or epithelial-immune interactions in autoimmune and fibrotic diseases (e.g., rheumatic diseases, pulmonary fibrosis).

• Mentorship: Manage, mentor, and develop a team of scientists and research associates, fostering a culture of scientific rigor and innovation.

• Internal collaboration: collaborate cross-functionally with drug discovery, preclinical development, clinical research, analytical development, and regulatory teams to align immunology strategies with overall program milestones, and support study design for preclinical and clinical trials.

• External Collaboration: Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals, present at major scientific conferences, and manage external collaborations with academic institutions and CROs.

• Pipeline Advancement: Represent the immunology function on cross-functional project teams, guiding programs from early discovery through IND-enabling studies.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Ph.D. degree in Immunology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or a closely related biomedical science discipline, with formal specialized training in immunology.

• Experience: A minimum of 6-8+ years of post-doctoral industry experience in biotech or pharmaceutical drug discovery, with proven track record in immunology research and assay development

• Technical Expertise:

• Advanced proficiency in flow cytometry: multi-color panel design, instrument operation for both conventional and spectral flow cytometer, data acquisition, high-dimensional non-immune cell phenotyping, and functional cell analysis for diverse primary immune and non-immune cell populations.

• Non-Immune cell profiling using a range of other techniques including tissue sectioning, confocal microscopy, ELISA, MSD, Western Blot and PCR.

• Lead to project progression using primarily cell based screening and profiling assays to support validation and MOA studies including biomaterial development (human extracelluar matrix scaffords) from a range of tissues.

• Extensive experience in all stages of pharmacodynamic (PD) assay development, optimization, validation, and data analysis for preclinical and clinical research.

• Hands-on experience in primary non-immune cell isolation/purification using positive and negative selection strategies, differentiation, culture, stimulation, and functional characterization from human and animal samples.

• Extensive experience with non-immune cell line culture, complex 2D/3D co-culture models, flow cytometry (FACS), transcriptomics (e.g., scRNA-seq), and in vitro functional immunological assays.

• Design, develop and perform immunocytochemistry / immunofluorescence tissue staining and transcriptomics methods to support programs as they transition into the clinic. Analyse patient materials using the above methods internally and at CRO.

• Deep conceptual and practical knowledge of non-immune cell biology (e.g., fibroblasts, epithelial cells) and their interplay with innate and adaptive immune cells.

• Development, evaluation and implementation of new technologies as required by the projects.

• Proven aseptic technique, attention to detail and acts independently to determine methods and procedures on new or special assignments.

• Familiarity with therapeutic antibody discovery and advanced modalities (e.g., mAb, BsAb, TsAb, TCE, ADC, CAR-T and AOCs).

• Disease Area Knowledge: Proven track record in researching immunological and inflammatory diseases, fibrotic disorders, or auto-immune pathologies.

• Data & Analytical Skills: Strong quantitative data analysis skills, experience with Flowjo, GraphPad Prism, BioRender, imaging analysis software and statistical analysis tools; ability to interpret complex immunological data and drive scientific conclusions.

• Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading projects and managing direct reports in a matrixed environment.

• Communication: Excellent written and oral communication skills, with a strong record of technical reports, scientific publications and presentations in English.

• Problem-Solving: Strong troubleshooting skills for experimental and assay-related challenges, with a proactive and results-driven approach to research.

• Desire to work in a fast-paced, quickly changing environment, showing agility/flexibility to meet deadlines and goals and with a can-do attitude.

• A passion for science and demonstrated enthusiasm and drive to achieve company goals; adaptability and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting immuno-oncology, autoimmune disease, or inflammatory disease therapeutic development programs.

• Experience with clinical sample analysis and clinical PD biomarker development.

• Publication record in peer-reviewed immunology or pharmaceutical research journals.

• Experience leading cross-functional R&D teams and managing external research collaborations.

• Hands on lab-based experience in Incucyte live cell analysis and FACS sorting

• Proficiency in maintaining accurate and up-to-date experimental records in ELN and LIMS system in daily lab operations and data reporting.

• Establish strong working relationships with CRO partners in order to collaborate and foster information exchange and to enable efficient execution of work packages

• Experience with in vivo disease models of immunology, inflammation and fibrosis.

• Understanding of the clinical landscape for autoimmune disease treatments (e.g., immune checkpoint, depletion and cytokine blockade pathways).