Senior Research Associate, Protein Science Developability

Your Impact at LILA

Lila Sciences is seeking an experienced Senior Research Associate specializing in Protein Purification, Analytics and Developability to support the build-out and day-to-day operation of a high-throughput protein characterization platform. In this role, you will contribute directly to the development of Lila's Scientific Superintelligence platform by executing and optimizing biophysical characterization workflows, collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams, and ensuring high-quality, reproducible data generation.

What You'll Be Building

• Execute and optimize high-throughput workflows for protein characterization across a wide range of modalities, including antibodies, bi-specifics, and enzymes.
• Operate and maintain automated chromatography systems, including Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography (HIC), and affinity chromatography using HPLC platforms.
• Perform biophysical characterization using techniques such as Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), melting temperature analysis (DSF), binding assays (BLI/SPR), capillary electrophoresis (CE-SDS, cIEF) and more, to assess protein critical quality attributes
• Support workflows to characterize protein post-translational modifications (PTMs), ensuring comprehensive sample preparation and accurate data capture.
• Collaborate closely with scientists, engineers, and automation experts to identify and implement improvements in efficiency, robustness, and scalability of developability workflows.
• Innovate and adapt protocols to accommodate new protein formats, targets, and analytical strategies.
• Ensure data quality, documentation, and reproducibility in all experiments; actively contribute to knowledge sharing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with computational scientists to support data analysis pipelines, data processing, and the development of predictive models for protein characteristics.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or a related discipline with 2-5+ years of hands-on industry or academic experience in protein production and characterization.
• Proven hands-on experience with HPLC techniques such as SEC, HIC, and affinity purification methods.
• Familiarity with biophysical characterization techniques including DLS, DSF, BLI/SPR, CE-SDS, cIEF or similar analytical methods.
• Experience with liquid handling automation and high-throughput formats.
• Familiarity with laboratory data analysis, digital recordkeeping (e.g., Benchling, electronic lab notebooks), and collaborative scientific workflows.
• Outstanding troubleshooting skills, adaptability, and ability to drive innovation in experimental design.
• Strong communication skills and an eagerness to collaborate within a fast-paced, cross-functional team.

Bonus Points For

• Familiarity with laboratory automation and high-throughput screening technologies.
• Data analysis using relevant software (Python, R, or similar).
• Experience with protein post-translational modification analysis workflows.

About LILA

Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence™ to solve humankind's greatest challenges. We believe science is the most inspiring frontier for AI. Rather than hard-coding expert knowledge into tools, LILA builds systems that can learn for themselves.

LILA combines advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory™ instruments into an operating system for science that executes the entire scientific method autonomously, accelerating discovery at unprecedented speed, scale, and impact across medicine, materials, and energy. Learn more at www.lila.ai.

Guided by our core values of truth, trust, curiosity, grit, and velocity, we move with startup speed while tackling problems of historic importance. If this sounds like an environment you'd love to work in, even if you don't meet every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.

We’re All In

Lila Sciences is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

Information you provide during your application process will be handled in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Policy.

A Note to Agencies

Lila Sciences does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Lila Sciences or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Lila Science’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Lila Sciences, and Lila Sciences will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.