Senior Science / People Lead in Bioconjugation and Protein Engineering (m/f/d)

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The Position

The Position

In Roche's Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development organization (pRED), we create transformative medicines for patients to address some of the world's most challenging unmet healthcare needs. At pRED, we are united by our mission to transform science into medicines.

Together, we foster a culture defined by curiosity, responsibility, and humility, empowering our talented people to deliver life changing innovation with excellence and speed.

The position is located in Biological Core Technologies, a department within the Discovery of the pREDs Large Molecules Research , where the design, supply and development of next generation biologics is the primary focus. We closely collaborate with our therapeutic areas and functions to convert therapeutic hypotheses into innovative therapeutics.

Job Mission

We are seeking a strategic leader and ADC subject matter expert to drive the next evolution of our protein therapeutics pipeline. In this pivotal role, you will take full ownership of our bioconjugation and antibody discovery programs, directing a high-caliber team of specialists through the intricacies of early-stage drug development. You won't just oversee strategies; you will architect the bioconjugation frameworks and protein engineering breakthroughs that define our future therapeutic portfolio through high-impact internal and external collaborations.

Your Impact

Strategic Leadership: Lead and scale a high-performing team of 6–9 specialists in molecular biology and protein chemistry. You will be responsible for their technical growth, resource allocation, and the delivery of critical project milestones.

ADC & Bioconjugation Mastery: Serve as the primary architect for our ADC development strategies. You will oversee both high-throughput automated and bespoke manual conjugation workflows, ensuring the successful translation of early discovery concepts into robust therapeutic candidates.

Portfolio Acceleration: Drive innovation in antibody discovery and next-generation engineered proteins. You will bridge the gap between initial protein design and clinical viability, leveraging your deep understanding of drug-to-antibody ratios (DAR), linker-payload chemistry, and analytical characterization.

Global Influence: Act as a key technical representative in global partnerships, negotiating and managing complex collaborations to expand our technological capabilities.

Your Profile

Proven Leadership: Extensive experience (5+ years) in direct people management, with a track record of leading multidisciplinary teams through the high-pressure environment of drug discovery.

ADC Expert: A deep technical pedigree (5+ years) in Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), including hands-on mastery of site-specific bioconjugation, linker-payload technologies, and advanced protein engineering.

Drug Discovery Expert: Multiple years of experience in the early stages of drug discovery, moving candidates from concept through lead optimization. You understand the nuances of biophysical characterization and the "fail fast" mentality required in early-stage research.

Automation & Systems Visionary: Demonstrated experience integrating liquid-handling automation and sophisticated IT architectures into the lab to maximize throughput and data integrity.

Communicator & Influencer: A resourceful leader who can translate complex biochemical data into actionable business strategies and build a culture of high-trust, high-accountability collaboration.

Your application

Please upload your current resume and your latest certificates of education.

We are looking forward to your application!

 

 

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Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.