Your Role:

As Director / Senior Director, in vivo Antibody Discovery, you will establish and lead a dedicated team of scientists and associate scientists responsible for the in vivo antibody discovery engine at EMD Serono. You will define the vision, implement a high-throughput discovery strategy, and personally contribute scientific expertise across all phases of the workflow.

Team & Laboratory Build-Out

• Design and establish a best-in-class in vivo antibody discovery laboratory, including infrastructure, workflows, SOPs, and quality standards.
• Recruit, onboard, and develop a team of scientists and associate scientists covering vivarium operations (animal maintenance and immunization) as well as hit discovery activities.
• Define team roles, responsibilities, and growth paths; foster a collaborative, rigorous, and innovative scientific culture.
• Develop and implement a strategic roadmap for high-throughput antibody hit identification, with clear KPIs and milestones aligned to portfolio needs.

In vivoImmunization

• Lead and oversee multi-modal immunization campaigns in rodent models, including protein, DNA, lipid nanoparticle (LNP), nanodisc, and cell-based immunization strategies.
• Apply deep expertise in antigen design in collaboration with Structure Biology and Protein Sciences to maximize the quality and diversity of antibody responses.
• Ensure compliance with all institutional and regulatory animal care and use requirements

Hit Identification & Paratope Retrieval

• Establish and operate state-of-the-art platforms for antibody hit identification, such as single B cell sorting, hybridoma generation and microfluidics-based screening.
• Ensure heavy chain and light chain pairing throughout the discovery workflow to preserve native antibody specificities.
• Implement reliable methods for genetic recovery of paratope sequences (VH/VL), including single-cell RT-PCR, next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based repertoire analysis, and related technologies.

Preclinical Program Support

• Partner within NBE, with Pharmacology, and Translational teams to advance antibody hits from discovery into lead optimization and IND-enabling studies.
• Contribute scientific expertise across the hit-to-IND continuum, including hit characterization, sequence/liability analysis, and early developability assessment.
• Represent New Biological Entities (NBE Technologies) function in preclinical project teams; provide regular program updates to senior leadership.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and competitive landscape; translate innovations into practical platform improvements.

Who You Are

Minimum Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Immunology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or a closely related discipline
• At least 10years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry with a strong track record in antibody discovery.
• Deep, hands-on expertise in in vivo antibody hit identification from immunized rodents, including immunization design, B cell biology, and hit confirmation.
• Minimum 3 years of direct line management experience, with demonstrated ability to build, mentor, and retain high-performing scientific teams.
• Proficiency in maintaining heavy chain / light chain pairing fidelity across discovery platforms.
• Working knowledge of current state-of-the-art antibody identification platforms (e.g., single B cell technologies, hybridoma, display libraries, microfluidics).
• Hands-on experience with methods for genetic retrieval of antibody sequences (VH/VL) from individual B cells or bulk repertoires.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to preclinical programs across the hit discovery to IND continuum.
• Track record of publication and/or patent contributions in antibody discovery.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience establishing a discovery laboratory and technology platforms in an industry setting.
• Familiarity with multi-modal immunization strategies including DNA/LNP, nanodiscs, and whole-cell immunization.
• Experience with next-generation sequencing-based antibody repertoire analysis and bioinformatic tools for V(D)J annotation.
• Knowledge of antibody engineering, developability, immunogenicity and early CMC considerations.
• Experience leading cross-functional project teams and presenting to senior scientific leadership.

Pay Range for this position: $ 214,900- $322,300

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The offer range represents the anticipated low and high end of the base pay compensation for this position. The actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level of experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors. Position may be eligible for sales or performance-based bonuses. Benefits offered by the Company include health insurance, paid time off (PTO), retirement contributions, and other perquisites. For more information click here ​