Antibody Discovery Associate Scientist/Scientist

Join Us at Oxford Biotherapeutics (OBT)

Oxford Biotherapeutics (OBT) is a clinical‑stage biotechnology company developing innovative antibody‑based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. You will contribute directly to the pre‑clinical development of our immuno‑oncology pipeline.

Our proprietary OGAP® platform, the world’s largest cancer‑specific membrane protein library enables the discovery of novel, highly tumour‑specific antigens for first‑in‑class ADC, Bispecific T‑cell Engager (BITE®), and CAR‑based therapeutics. Our lead asset, OBT076, is in Phase 1b clinical development, supported by a strong internal and partnered pipeline with leaders such as Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Zymeworks.

Learn more at www.oxfordbiotherapeutics.com.

About the Role

As an Antibody Discovery Associate Scientist/Scientist, you will play a key role in discovering both tool and therapeutic antibodies using state‑of‑the‑art in vivo and in vitro approaches. You’ll collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams, contribute to experimental design, and help drive projects forward in a fast‑paced, highly innovative environment.

This role is an excellent fit for someone who is proactive, detail‑oriented, scientifically curious, and excited to work on cutting‑edge antibody discovery pipelines.

Key Responsibilities

• Single B‑cell discovery:
  Plan and execute multiparameter flow cytometry for antigen‑specific B‑cell sorting; recover paired VH/VL sequences using single‑cell RT‑PCR; perform molecular cloning and antibody expression for rapid screening.
• Molecular recovery & sequencing:
  Develop and perform workflows for RT‑PCR/PCR, barcoding, and amplicon QC; prepare NGS libraries and support sequencing for deep repertoire capture.
• Repertoire mining & clonal analysis:
  Analyse BCR repertoires (VDJ assignment, CDR annotation), perform clonal clustering and lineage inference, and identify promising antibodies using developability/sequence‑liability assessments.
• High‑throughput screening (HTS):
  Run ELISA, Octet, and cell‑based assays to assess specificity, affinity, and expression levels.
• Antibody characterisation:
  Perform kinetics and epitope binning (BLI/SPR), assess cross‑reactivity and affinity maturation, and contribute to mechanism‑of‑action assays.
• Data analysis & reporting:
  Own QC, analysis, and visualisation of experimental data; prepare clear written summaries and present findings to internal and external partners.
• Operational excellence:
  Maintain high‑quality scientific records, support workflow optimisation, and uphold lab safety and data integrity.

Knowledge, Experience & Skills

Required

• BS/MS/PhD in Immunology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or a related field.
  • BS/MS: 3–5 years’ hands‑on experience in antibody discovery (industry preferred)
  • PhD: 1–2 years’ experience
• Experience with flow cytometry/FACS for antigen‑specific B‑cell sorting (SONY sorter experience a plus)
• Proficiency in single‑cell RT‑PCR, PCR, cloning, expression, and sequence analysis
• Experience with NGS workflows — library prep, indexing, QC — and repertoire analysis tools (e.g., MiXCR, IgBLAST, PipeBio)
• Familiarity with SPR/BLI for kinetics and epitope binning
• Competence in data analysis software such as FlowJo, Geneious Prime, Biacore/Octet, and GraphPad Prism
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Preferred

• Experience with CRISPR gene editing
• Understanding of antibody developability assessment

Benefits

We care deeply about the wellbeing of our employees and their families. Our comprehensive benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Short‑Term Disability (STD), Long‑Term Disability (LTD), Basic Life & AD&D, and Supplemental Life insurance
• 401(k) plan
• 120 hours of Paid Time Off + 5 sick days per year
• 11 public holidays
• Annual bonus program
• Employee referral bonus program
• New hire stock options

Equal Opportunities Statement

OBT is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status. All qualified applicants will receive fair consideration for employment.

Why Join Us

At OBT, we foster a culture grounded in innovation, scientific excellence, and collaboration. Colleagues describe our environment as friendly, supportive, and hard‑working, where people trust one another and share a commitment to making meaningful impact.

We value diverse perspectives and believe our strength comes from working together with curiosity, respect, and a shared purpose.