Principal Scientist, Immunology

What if… you could join an organization that creates, resources, and builds life sciences companies that invent breakthrough technologies in order to transform health care and sustainability?

Montai Therapeutics is a privately held, early-stage biotechnology company developing a platform for understanding and leveraging complex molecular interactions within organisms to solve global challenges in human health and sustainability. The company leverages a multidisciplinary approach that integrates tools ranging from machine learning and big data to multi-omics and high-throughput screening.

At Montai, we nurture a bold, spirited, and leading-edge culture dedicated to strengthening human health:

• We are one team with omnidirectional trust, empowered and accountable
• We are strong as individuals but stronger as a team and we are committed to excellence
• We have a sense of urgency and persistence, and we are crazily confident that we can make a difference
• We need to be comfortable with the uncomfortable and be rigorous and we recognize that failure is data
• We care for diversity in people, thought, personality, opinions, background and distinctiveness
• We have a sense of humor to help us manage through our strategic noise

Position Summary

Montai is seeking a highly motivated immunologist with small molecule drug development experience to join the Immunology team at the Senior Scientist level (title commensurate with experience).  This individual will help drive Montai’s small molecule drug discovery projects in immunology-related therapeutic areas.

The successful candidate will have substantial experience with all aspects of driving small molecules from hit finding to lead optimization and will be expected to function as a project leader.  Responsibilities include developing and deploying immunological/cell biology assays to identify and characterize novel compounds, manage external CROs, interface with internal cross-functional teams including AI/machine learning, and reporting/presenting data to key stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Use your experience to play a leadership role in all aspects of small molecule drug discovery projects from hit-finding to lead optimization to in vivo disease models.
• Establish and design in vitro cell based assays and screens to investigate target/pathway engagement and mechanistic action of therapeutic compounds on inflammatory and/or metabolic signaling pathways using human disease relevant cell-based models.
• Act as the in vitro biology/pharmacology lead for designated projects to define, develop, and implement appropriate in vitro assays to support discovery programs
• Analyze and interpret experimental data, and present findings clearly and effectively to internal stakeholders and external scientific communities
• Effectively handle multiple projects and deliverables, including evaluating workload, prioritizing tasks, and determining resource needs to achieve the objectives of the core or project teams
• Provide scientific expertise and guidance to junior scientists and research associates, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment
• Conduct in-depth project planning and stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in immunology, drug discovery techniques and potential targets

Qualifications

• PhD. in Immunology, cell biology or a related field with 5+ years experience in drug discovery
• Experience in assay design, development and data reporting for drug discovery programs with an emphasis on immunomodulatory targets.  Experience with techniques such as multi-parameter flow cytometry, cell-based immunological assays using primary cells, ELISA/MSD, HTRF, TR-FRET, and other relevant assays to monitor compound activity/MoA.  
• Experience running or supervising animal PK/PD and disease models is a plus
• Experience working with external CROs to conduct drug discovery activities is a plus
• In-depth knowledge of immunology concepts and immune response pathways
• Record of high-quality scientific output and successful independent project leadership
• Proficient in problem-solving and critical thinking, with a demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a matrixed organizational structure
• Adaptable in navigating a dynamic and constantly-changing research landscape
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex scientific concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment

More About Flagship Pioneering

Flagship Pioneering is a biotechnology company that invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health or sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in more than $90 billion in aggregate value. Many of the companies Flagship has founded have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.  Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies, and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Learn more about Flagship at www.flagshippioneering.com.

At Flagship, we recognize there is no perfect candidate. If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. Experience comes in many forms, skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your unique background.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.