Electra Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of immunological diseases and cancer. Our discovery efforts leverage deep understanding of human immunology, innovative biology, and translational insights to build differentiated therapeutic programs.
We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Scientist or Associate Director with deep expertise in immunology and immune-mediated diseases to lead target discovery efforts and help expand Electra’s portfolio of therapeutic drugs. This individual will play a central role in initiating new discovery programs by either identifying novel targets or establishing new programs using existing molecules through engineering or novel biological applications. In addition, the candidate will support ongoing preclinical and clinical programs by providing immunology expertise, mechanistic insight, and experimental support as needed.
The successful candidate will combine strong experimental immunology skills with scientific creativity, leadership, and strategic thinking. This role requires hands-on expertise with immune-relevant in vitro and ex vivo human disease models, ownership of discovery-stage programs, and close collaboration across research, translational, and clinical functions.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead target discovery and early validation efforts in immunology and immune-mediated diseases to generate new therapeutic programs.
- Conceive and execute strategies to:
- Identify novel disease-relevant immune targets, and/or
- Leverage and engineer available molecules to establish new programs.
- Apply bioinformatics and/or computational biology approaches, or work closely with bioinformatics partners, to analyze, integrate, and interpret complex biological datasets in support of target discovery and mechanism-of-action understanding.
- Design, execute, and analyze experiments focused on human immune cell function and disease mechanisms, using both in vitro and ex vivo systems.
- Apply and interpret data from immune-relevant assays, including:
- Multi-color flow cytometry for immune cell phenotyping and functional readouts
- Whole blood assays
- Functional assays with primary human immune cells
- Cytokine analysis and ELISA-based assays
- Provide scientific leadership for discovery projects, including experimental strategy, data interpretation, and go/no-go decision-making.
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including protein engineering, translational science, bioinformatics/computational biology, clinical and regulatory.
- Integrate internal data and external knowledge to inform target prioritization, program strategy, and portfolio decisions.
- Present data and program updates to internal leadership and external stakeholders as appropriate.
- Contribute to study reports, patent filings, and publications, and collaborate with Translational and Regulatory teams to support IND-enabling activities.
- Identify and implement innovative technologies or methodologies to advance discovery efforts.
- Mentor and scientifically guide junior scientists and project team members (scope commensurate with level).
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Immunology, Cell Biology, or a related field, with significant postdoctoral and/or industry experience.
- Strong expertise in immunology and immune-mediated diseases, demonstrated by a robust publication record and/or significant scientific contributions in relevant areas of human immune biology.
- Proven experience in target discovery, early discovery research, or initiation of new therapeutic programs.
- Hands-on expertise with immune-relevant assays, particularly primary human immune cell–based systems.
- Demonstrated ability to lead projects independently in a fast-paced, collaborative research environment.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and scientific communication skills.
- High level of motivation, ownership, and creativity in driving scientific discovery.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in bioinformatics or computational biology, or a strong track record of working closely with computational scientists to support target discovery.
- Familiarity with omics-based approaches (e.g., bulk or single-cell transcriptomics) applied to immunology.
- Experience with additional techniques such as immunohistochemistry, ELISPOT, molecular biology methods (e.g., qPCR), or single-cell analysis.
- Prior involvement in advancing programs toward preclinical development or IND submission.