GondolaBio Service Co, Inc. - Director, Antibody Development & Engineering at GondolaBio Service Co, Inc.

Company Background

GondolaBio is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing next-generation therapeutics for genetic diseases. Originally carved out of BridgeBio, GondolaBio secured $300M in private financing from external investors in 2024 and became an independent company within the BridgeBio ecosystem. GondolaBio aims to leverage cutting-edge biological research to discover, create, test, and deliver transformative medicines to treat patients who suffer from genetic diseases.

To learn more about our company and current pipeline of drug candidates, visit us at https://gondolabio.com

Who You Are

We are looking for a highly motivated and innovative scientist to lead the antibody discovery for a newly-formed GondolaBio program. The selected candidate will work within a fast-paced, interactive, and innovative research team to lead discovery campaigns for novel antibodies. This role will lead the development of immunological functional assays, CRO management, oversight of antibody discovery campaign, contribute to future regulatory submissions, and participate in cross-functional meetings. This job requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills as well as technical and scientific abilities. We hope to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and lead multiple antibody discovery campaign efforts with CROs, including biochemical and functional assay screening 
• Lead antibody engineering efforts for affinity maturation campaigns, developability, and immunological enhancement
• Lead the development of preclinical animal models with CROs to assess lead candidates
• Engage in scientific discussion with collaborators and management to evaluate ongoing projects 
• Develop and optimize the SOPs, validation protocols, provide technical assistance and train research associates as needed
• Oversee wet lab activities including tissue culture, PBMC isolation, protein expression and purification, functional assays, and flow cytometry 
• Maintain strong understanding of state-of-the-art protein engineering
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including DMPK, toxicology, clinical development, regulatory to advance our therapeutic candidates from preclinical stages toward clinical development in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Represent the program scientifically to internal and external audiences 
• Contribute to the drafting of translation- and pharmacology-related sections of regulatory documents including INDs
• Contribute to due diligence and gap analysis on potential new GondolaBio assets as needed

Education, Experience & Skills Requirements

• PhD degree in biochemistry, immunology or related life science field and 8+ years of experience 
• Experience with antibody discovery, including antibody engineering, antibody affinity maturation, and developability
• Hands-on experience with immunology skills including PBMC isolation and macrophage differentiation, ADCP/ADCC/CDC assays, multicolor flow cytometry
• Hands-on experience with protein and antibody engineering skills including protein expression and purification, size exclusion chromatography, antibody campaigns and screening, BLI/SPR kinetics and epitope binning, 
• Passion for getting lifesaving medicines into the hands of patients as quickly and efficiently as is humanly possible
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Must be comfortable with ambiguity
• Fast (extremely fast) learner
• Strong communication skills
• Demonstrate creative 'out of the box' thinking to solve complex technical problems and champion innovative technologies to achieve project goals
• Commitment, drive, and ownership mindset

What We Offer:

• Patient Days, where we are fortunate enough to learn more about the lives we are looking to impact and a real exchange of ideas as to how we can improve our efforts
• A culture inspired by our values: put patients first; think independently; be radically transparent; every minute counts; and let the science speak
• Collaborative business environment
• Excellent compensation package (Base, Performance Bonus, Equity)
• Excellent benefits package
• Flexible PTO
• A fast-paced, data-driven, work environment with world-class R&D minds and capabilities
• Work with the most productive groups of R&D operators in the industry
• A platform for meaningful scientific contributions to shine

 The base pay range for this position is $220,000 to $250,000 per year. The actual compensation offered will be determined based on a number of job-related factors, including experience, skills, qualifications, and location.  A bonus plan and equity will also be offered.