Antibody Engineering – Molecular Biology
Location: Orange County, CA (On-site)
Position Type: Full-time
Level: Senior Research Associate to Associate Scientist (commensurate with experience)
About Aureka
Aureka Biotechnologies is a rapidly growing biotech company revolutionizing therapeutic antibody discovery through the convergence of cutting-edge molecular engineering, proprietary microfluidics, high-throughput screening, and generative AI. Our mission is to engineer life-saving antibody therapeutics with unprecedented speed and precision, especially for underserved patient populations.
Position Summary
Aureka Bio is seeking a highly motivated, passionate, and detail-oriented Senior Research Associate or Associate Scientist to join our R&D Molecular Biology team and advance our innovative discovery programs. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a fast-growing, AI-driven biotherapeutics company dedicated to rapidly generating next-generation biologics for Immunology & Inflammation (I&I) and metabolic diseases.
The ideal candidate will have 4+ years of hands-on experience in molecular biology or related in the field of antibody engineering. This role will provide the opportunity to collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team of scientists to design and produce plasmids, construct and screen libraries. This is a bench-facing, on-site position based in Orange County, CA, offering high visibility and impact within a dynamic and collaborative environment. The candidate will also assist in the management of lab operations and inventory management. The final title and compensation will be commensurate with experience.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the molecular biology team’s efforts in antibody-based screening campaigns targeting diverse antigens.
- Design and execute construction of plasmids using diverse methods such as Gibson and Golden Gate assembly.
- Clone and screen antibodies using yeast and phage display technologies.
- Characterize antibody candidates with cell-based assays such as ELISA, BLI, flow cytometry…etc.
- Screen antibody libraries using fluorescence based cell sorting (FACS).
Qualifications
Minimum Requirements
- B.S. in Biological Sciences, Protein Engineering, Molecular Biology, or a related field with 4+ years of experience, or M.S. with 2+ years of relevant experience.
- Hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques in biotech or pharma settings.
- Familiarity with bacterial and yeast cloning and culturing.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively across disciplines.
- Experience with ELN, preferably Benchling.
- Strong organizational and communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience flow cytometry cell-based assays, screening, and experimental design.
- Experience with yeast and phage display technologies.
- Experience with next generation sequencing workflows across different platforms such as Illumina, PacBio, Nanopore…etc.
- Ideal candidates will have prior experience supporting antibody discovery and optimization workflows.
Why Join Aureka?
- Join a mission-driven team advancing the future of antibody discovery.
- Work at the cutting edge of AI, synthetic biology, and microfluidics.
- Be part of a collaborative, dynamic, and fast-growing startup.
- Competitive salary, equity options, and full benefits package.
