Principal Scientist, TCR Optimization (Biotech)

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States; in-person 70/30 work model. Only U.S. persons are eligible due to U.S. export-control requirements.

Salary: $142,500–$256,500 annually, with potential bonus, incentive compensation, or equity.

Company

hirify.global develops an mRNA technology platform and medicines designed to transform how treatments are created and delivered.

What you will do

• Build and execute scalable TCR optimization workflows using display technologies and directed evolution.
• Establish an end-to-end pipeline covering library design, screening, candidate recovery, sequence analysis, characterization, functional validation, and lead selection.
• Design rational and semi-rational TCR libraries and lead iterative campaigns balancing affinity, specificity, stability, expression, developability, potency, and safety.
• Interpret screening, binding, biophysical, and functional datasets to prioritize candidates and recommend engineering strategies.
• Deliver optimized binders for TCR-T, TCR engager, and other TCR-based therapeutic programs.
• Collaborate with computational biology, AI/ML, NGS, functional assay, preclinical, and external partner teams.

Requirements

• PhD in immunology, protein engineering, molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology, or a related discipline.
• At least 5 years of post-PhD experience in TCR engineering, protein engineering, directed evolution, display-based screening, or a related therapeutic discovery field.
• Hands-on experience with display technologies, library design, affinity maturation, specificity engineering, developability optimization, and TCR or TCR-mimetic workflows.
• Experience designing and interpreting binding, stability, expression, functional potency, or biophysical characterization assays.
• Ability to lead complex experimental workflows, troubleshoot technical challenges, make data-driven decisions, and communicate scientific risks and recommendations.
• Must qualify as a U.S. person under U.S. export-control laws; visa sponsorship for non-U.S. persons is unavailable.

Nice to have

• Understanding of TCR-pMHC recognition, T cell biology, therapeutic TCR formats, and affinity, specificity, stability, expression, developability, and potency tradeoffs.
• Experience with TCR cross-reactivity and off-target risk assessment.
• Experience using sequence analysis, NGS datasets, structure-guided design, sequence-function modeling, automation, or new protein engineering technologies.
• Experience operating as both a hands-on scientific contributor and a cross-functional project leader.

Culture & Benefits

• In-person collaboration supported by a 70/30 work model.
• Competitive healthcare and voluntary benefits.
• Fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support.
• Family planning benefits, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support.
• Paid vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and discretionary year-end shutdown.
• Savings and investment programs, plus location-specific benefits.