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.