Experimental Protein Scientist / Biochemist - Center for Protein Design

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
$86,320 - $154,960
parental leave, tuition reimbursement, retirement plan
United States, Tennessee, Memphis
262 Danny Thomas Place (Show on map)
Apr 15, 2025
Be at the forefront of the AI and protein design revolution (recognized by the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry) and contribute to developing next-generation therapies for children. Top-tier compensation and benefits, supportive and collaborative team environment with strong mentoring opportunities, and exciting potential for career advancement. The World's Brightest Minds Always Innovate At St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, we know what can be achieved when the brightest scientific minds face the fewest barriers. That's why we provide world-class facilities. State-of-the-art technologies. Extraordinary support. And a collaborative, bench-to-bedside environment where you can see, firsthand, how your science translates into survival for the children we serve. Quite simply, at St. Jude, we encourage you to dream big and stop at nothing when it comes to finding cures and saving children. Are you passionate about innovative research that has the potential to dramatically improve patients' lives and change the world? Are you excited to push the envelope in what AI-guided protein design can do in medicine? Do you love developing and conducting challenging protein functional assays, striving for efficiency and automation? Do you want to pursue new frontiers in systems-level biological design (e.g., redesigning metabolic and signaling networks in cells)? Are you motivated by a fast-paced collegial environment with a diversity of technical expertise and a strong emphasis on creative and rigorous science? Is open communication one of your strengths? Do you proactively address issues head-on? Job Overview The newly opened Center for Protein Design at St. Jude is looking to expand our world-class team with an accomplished scientist. As a biochemist in the Center for Protein Design, you will lead the experimental side of several protein design research programs, including devising and executing accurate and high-throughput assays to validate proteins with new functions in-vitro and in-vivo. Working hand-in-hand with our computational protein design team, you will play a critical scientific leadership role in protein design projects, from the conceptual to the validation and translational phases. As the Center for Protein Design continues to grow, you will also have the opportunity to participate in developing a state-of-the-art roboticized platform for expressing and characterizing our designer proteins in a high throughput manner. Attributes of successful candidates: A desire to actively participate in computational protein design research programs from start to finish, focusing on successful outcomes. Exceptional biochemical skills with a strong attention to detail and perseverance to obtain solid experimental results. A proactive, fast learner who can operate independently and possesses strong communication skills. A leader (vs. follower) with a contagious 'can-do' attitude. Excellent organization and presentation skills coupled with a collaborative attitude. Opportunities for Professional Growth You will have the opportunity to take an active role in leadership within the Center for Protein Design as it expands and grows. As an integral and critical member of the Center for Protein Design at St. Jude, you will also be able to participate in internal meetings and interact with other groups and faculty at St. Jude to advance applications of protein design. You will be working alongside internationally recognized scientists who are leaders in such disciplines as AI/machine learning (Dr. Madan Babu), NMR (Dr. Charalampos Kalodimos), cryo-EM/ET (Dr. Elizabeth Kellogg and Dr. Georgios Skiniotis), single-molecule experiments (Dr. Scott Blanchard), and more. You will also collaborate with the wider community at St Jude (such as the Departments of Immunology, Host-Microbe Interactions, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Chemical Biology and Therapeutics), which is full of very smart, helpful, and fun individuals with unique and diverse scientific strengths. The candidate will be given opportunities to participate in interdisciplinary scientific research and be mentored in developing leadership skills. You will have opportunities to attend scientific conferences surrounding the fields of protein and systems design such as the Gordon Research Conferences, RosettaCON and SynBioBeta. Through extensive links that Dr. Zanghellini has nurtured with industry, you will also get exposure to the biopharma and venture capital ecosystems. About the Center for Protein Design The Center for Protein Design is a new institutional center established in November 2024 and housed in the Center of Excellence for Data-Driven Discovery within the Structural Biology department at St Jude. The Center is led by Dr. Alexandre Zanghellini, Executive Fellow at St Jude. Dr. Zanghellini has 20 years of experience in protein design, including academia with Nobel Laureate Dr. David Baker, where his seminal contributions to the field of enzyme design were cited more than 3000 times. The Center for Protein Design's mission is to advance our understanding of protein structure-function relationships to design proteins and cell therapies that restore hope against catastrophic pediatric diseases. We use cutting edge deep-learning, biophysics and experimental approaches to develop new functional proteins for protein and cell therapies, including enzyme therapeutics, gene editing systems and CAR-T cell engineering. The Center is also pushing the boundary in new methodology development in computational protein design, leveraging the large amount of data that is generated by various groups and departments at St Jude. As an institutional center, the Center for Protein Design collaborates across many departments at St Jude such as Structural Biology, Immunology, Host-Microbe Interactions, and Pharmacology. The Center for Protein Design is a highly interdisciplinary environment which marries basic science with a strong translational component, leveraging St Jude Research Hospital cGMP manufacturing and clinical expertise. The Center for Protein Design is committed to building a lab culture that is rooted in respect, diversity, and inclusion. This foundation promotes a dynamic, innovative, and impactful scientific environment driven by empathy and intellectual curiosity. About St Jude St Jude Children's Research Hospital is consistently named as one of Fortune magazine's "Best Companies to Work for" and top 10 "Best Places to Work in Academia" by the Scientist Magazine. St Jude is located in Memphis, Tennessee, the 28th most populous city in America. Memphis is a historic city with an affordable cost of living along with world class dining and strong cultural tradition in music and theater. Memphis enjoys a mild, sunny climate year-round and has some of the largest outdoor green spaces of any big city. St. Jude Employees receive: St Jude offers a well-definedcareer ladderwith potential for growth and advancement. Industry-competitive salaries are based on your degree and years of experience. Excellent healthcare plans with zero to low health premium costs. Generous retirement benefits with contributions from St. Jude. Onsite health clinic, pharmacy, and exercise facilities. Paid parental leave and adoption assistance. Immigration services. Tuition reimbursement. Benefits: Your health and well-being are important to us. That's why St. Jude Children's Research Hospital provides employees with high-quality benefits choices. We are committed to ensuring our benefits are competitive and affordable. St. Jude continues to cover medical premiums for employees and offers low additional costs for dependents. View all the benefits offered including Medical & Prescription Drug Plans, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, Financial Security, Retirement Plan, Living Well - Employee Wellness Program, Time Off Programs, Educational Benefits, Family Friendly Benefits, and Benefits Unique to St. Jude. Minimum Education and/or Training: Bachelor's degree in relevant scientific area is required. PhD level in biochemistry or protein science preferred. A proven track record in DNA cloning, protein expression and purification, assay development (LC/GC-MS, HPLC, Spectrophotometry) preferred. Minimum Experience: Eight (8) years of relevant work experience is required with a Bachelor's degree. Six (6) years of relevant work experience is required with a Master's degree. Three (3) years of relevant work experience is required with a PhD. Ideal Candidate: Previous experience in protein design & engineering is strongly favored. Experience with yeast, phage or ribosome display or development of high-throughput screens and selection systems in bacterial or mammalian cells is a strong plus. An outstanding academic and professional track record of achievements. Biotechnology industry experience, especially with the development of automation and data management systems is a strong plus. Independence, critical thinking, and experience with mentoring and collaborative interdisciplinary work is also strongly valued. The World's Best Stop at Nothing There's a reason St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is consistently ranked on Glassdoor's "Best Places to Work" list. Actually, there are more than 5,500 reasons. At our world-class pediatric research hospital, every one of our 5,500 professionals shares our commitment to making a difference in the lives of the children we serve. There's a unique bond when you are part of a team that will stop at nothing to advance the treatments and cures of pediatric catastrophic diseases. The result is a collaborative, positive environment where all employees, regardless of their role, receive the resources, support, and encouragement to advance and grow their careers. Have More in Memphis Get the best of big-city amenities mixed with all the charm of a small-town feel when you live in Memphis. From our world-renowned music scene to our eclectic mix of food and people. Memphis is a place our employees are proud to call home. Our region enjoys a cost of living more than 20% lower than the national average and our state places no personal income tax on wages. Plus, Memphians spend five hours less per year in their daily commute compared to the national average. Learn how you can "Have More in Memphis." Compensation In recognition of certain U.S. state and municipal pay transparency laws, St. Jude is including a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This is an estimate offered in good faith and a specific salary offer takes into account factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $86,320 - $154,960 per year for the role of Experimental Protein Scientist / Biochemist - Center for Protein Design. Explore our exceptional benefits! St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer No Search Firms St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.