Senior Scientist, mRNA Design & Platform Innovation (Gene Editing)

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Base salary: $145,000–$161,000 USD per year, plus eligibility for annual short-term and long-term incentive awards.

Company

hirify.global is a biotechnology company developing gene-editing therapies based on its proprietary Prime Editing platform for hematology, immunology and oncology, liver, and lung applications.

What you will do

• Design, construct, and optimize mRNA architectures for Prime Editing, including UTRs, open reading frames, codon usage, cap structures, poly(A) tails, and RNA secondary structure.
• Design and execute controlled experiments to study structure-function relationships and generate data for platform design decisions.
• Lead discovery efforts for therapeutic approaches and platform applications enabled by Prime Editing.
• Partner with Computational Biology, Technical Development, program teams, external collaborators, and CROs to translate platform advances into program-specific solutions.
• Monitor scientific literature and emerging technologies, and contribute to publications, patents, and conference presentations.
• Mentor research associates and interns, provide scientific direction, maintain laboratory records, and follow laboratory safety procedures.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, RNA Biology, Chemical Biology, or a related field, plus 5+ years of relevant postdoctoral or drug discovery research experience.
• Deep hands-on experience with mRNA biology and engineering, including in vitro transcription, UTR design, codon usage, RNA secondary structure, and sequence effects on protein expression.
• Experience working autonomously in collaborative, cross-functional research environments.
• Experience translating RNA-based therapeutic technologies from in vitro systems into in vivo animal models using non-viral or viral delivery systems.
• Familiarity with CRISPR-based or other precision gene-editing technologies, human biology, and animal models of disease.
• Strong scientific communication, publication, presentation, mentoring, and external collaboration skills.

Nice to have

• Experience with circular RNA, modified nucleosides, or other engineered RNA formats.
• Experience applying computational tools or AI/ML approaches to mRNA sequence design or optimization.
• Experience providing dotted-line scientific direction in a lean, matrixed team.

Culture & Benefits

• Foundational science with a direct translational focus on gene-editing therapies and patient impact.
• Comprehensive health, financial, and wellness benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and a 401(k) match.
• Equity programs and annual incentive opportunities.
• Generous paid time off, wellness days, and company-wide recharge breaks.
• Collaborative work across platform, program, computational biology, technical development, and external research teams.