Sr. Scientist, Immunology & Bioassays

Vancouver, WA (onsite)

We are seeking a highly motivated, collaborative, and innovative scientist to join our Pharmacology and Bioassays team. The qualified candidate will have deep expertise in immunology and strong experience developing and executing in vitro and ex vivo cell-based assays to interrogate immune mechanisms and immune-mediated disease mechanisms. 

This individual will be responsible for helping to establish and expand our preclinical assays, will actively contribute from the bench, delivering in vitro and ex vivo work packages to support and advance Absci’s drug development pipeline. The successful candidate will demonstrate clear and professional communication, effectively collaborate with colleagues across a highly matrixed environment, and be capable of presenting scientific results to project teams. 

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and execute preclinical in vitro and ex vivo cell-based assays to advance therapeutic programs and support target validation, MOA elucidation, and lead characterization.
• Analyze and interpret complex experimental datasets to define functional activity, mechanistic insight, and biological relevance of therapeutic candidates.
• Identify, evaluate, and implement new assay models, technologies, and experimental approaches to strengthen disease-relevant biology and assay capabilities.
• Serve as an immunology subject matter expert, integrating literature, experimental data, and disease biology to support project decisions and milestone advancement.
• Independently troubleshoot and optimize complex assays, applying scientific judgment to resolve technical and biological challenges.
• Contribute to the development and expansion of advanced in vitro and ex vivo research capabilities within the Pharmacology & Bioassays team.
• Author and review SOPs, study reports, and scientific presentations to ensure clarity, rigor, and reproducibility.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent advanced degree in Pharmacology, Immunology/Inflammation, Physiology, cell biology, or related disciplines with at least 5+ years of post-PhD academic and/or industry experience in immunology, immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, or related field, establishing direct experimental experience with the complex biology of inflammatory diseases
• Extensive experience with flow-based in-depth characterization of immune cell populations in blood and tissue samples.
• Experience with cell-based assays, ELISA, MSD, qPCR, microscopy, histology/pathology (e.g. IF/IHC/ISH).
• Demonstrated expertise with complex 2D/3D functional cell-based and tissue-based assays to investigate disease biology and PK/PD relationship. 
•  Experience with leveraging complex data sets to characterize and establish a drug’s therapeutic mechanisms of action
• Ability to be hands-on and work in the lab, write protocols, and execute studies leveraging Absci’s in-house capabilities 
• Experience working with project/research teams with functional responsibility to propose strategy, analyze, interpret, and present complex data to inform decisions
•  Ability to collaborate in writing protocols and reports
• Outstanding communication skills with demonstrated ability to make effective presentations in a broad range of settings

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Demonstrated record of leveraging in vitro/ex-vivo pharmacology models to explore antibody-based drug discovery. 
• Experience with therapeutics programs leading to drug candidate nomination in one or more of the following therapeutic areas: oncology, immunology/inflammation, metabolic diseases
• Experience authoring study protocols, reports, and/or regulatory documents, including IBs, IND filings, and/or NDAs
• Experience working with complex patient-derived cell-based 2D/3D culture systems or ex vivo tissue models
• Ability to independently generate, analyze, and interpret multi-omics data sets
• Strong statistical analysis skills and an ability to articulate findings and make recommendations from complex study results
• Experience mentoring scientists, leading cross-functional project teams, and a track record of successful management of external teams
• Experience working with vendors and CROs to execute studies, analyze data, and generate reports promptly

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $130,000 - 145,000/year. The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the base salary range for this job at the time of posting. Actual base salary pay will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

Absci offers highly competitive salaries and benefits, including medical, dental, vision insurance, unlimited vacation, parental leave, employee assistance program, voluntary life and disability insurance, annual bonus potential, and 401(k) with a generous company match.