Senior Principal Scientist, Biotherapeutics Discovery, In Vivo Antibody Generation (Ridgefield, CT, United States, Connecticut)

Description

Boehringer Ingelheim is seeking a highly skilled Senior Principal Scientist to lead the in vivo antibody discovery team within the Biotherapeutics Discovery organization in Ridgefield, CT. This senior scientific and organizational leader will advance biotherapeutic discovery programs through scientific excellence, strategic leadership, and talent development. In this lab-head role, the selected candidate will define and execute innovative in vivo antibody discovery strategies that drive therapeutic lead identification and the progression of high-value candidates.

The role provides leadership across antibody discovery and biologics programs, integrating deep scientific expertise with portfolio strategy to accelerate discovery, strengthen platform capabilities, and enable data-driven decisions at critical stage gates. The Senior Principal Scientist will shape research priorities, guide program strategy, mentor and develop scientists, and foster alignment across multidisciplinary teams to maximize portfolio impact.

As a trusted advisor, scientific thought leader, and organizational influencer, this individual will provide strategic guidance to senior leadership, support impactful pipeline decisions, and promote a culture of scientific rigor, innovation, accountability, and collaboration. The position combines scientific leadership with platform stewardship, staff mentorship, program-level strategic contributions, and strong external scientific visibility through publications, presentations, and collaborations.

As part of Boehringer Ingelheim, the successful candidate will contribute to the discovery, development, and delivery of products to patients and customers. The organization’s global presence provides opportunities for international collaboration, increasing visibility and enabling meaningful contributions to the company's success. Boehringer Ingelheim recognizes that its strength and competitive advantage lie in its people and supports employees through a healthy working environment, meaningful work, diversity and inclusion, mobility, networking, and work‑life balance. Competitive compensation and benefit programs reflect the company's high regard for its workforce.

Duties & Responsibilities

•    Lead the in vivo antibody discovery lab, setting scientific direction, priorities, and standards while developing and mentoring a high-performing team of scientists.

•    Lead the design and execution of innovative in vivo antibody discovery strategies, leveraging mouse, rat, rabbit, and transgenic platforms to maximize immune response quality, antibody diversity, and epitope coverage against therapeutic targets.

•    Provide technical leadership across in vivo discovery platforms, including hybridoma, single B-cell sorting, and immune repertoire/NGS-based screening.

•    Deliver antibody leads that support diverse therapeutic programs and advanced modalities, including bispecifics and multispecifics.

•    Collaborate with screening, functional, biophysical, and developability teams to define integrated campaign strategies for projects using in vivo antibody discovery.

•    Evaluate and implement emerging technologies, including AI/ML-enabled workflows and laboratory automation, to expand platform capabilities and accelerate discovery timelines.

•    Direct discovery campaigns that integrate internal capabilities with CRO and external partners, proactively identifying and mitigating scientific and operational risks.

•    Partner with broader Biotherapeutic Discovery organization, therapeutic area teams and other stakeholders to align antibody design with program goals.

•    Drive progression of candidates through critical stage gates, providing data-driven recommendations that influence portfolio prioritization and resource allocation.

•    Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, identifying capability gaps, emerging opportunities, and future investment needs in antibody discovery.

•    Ensure all in vivo work is designed and conducted in accordance with animal welfare principles, the 3Rs, and institutional, national, and international regulatory requirements, partnering closely with veterinary and governance stakeholders.

•    Maintain rigorous experimental records and documentation consistent with SOPs and regulatory expectations.

•    Enhance the organization’s scientific visibility and impact through publications, patents, conference presentations, and collaborations across academia, biotechnology, and industry.

•    Contribute to departmental administration and demonstrate fiscal responsibility with respect to experiments, technology investments, external collaborations, and travel.

Requirements

•    Requires a PhD plus seven (7) years industry experience in related field or equivalent.

•    Four (4) to six (6) years´ experience leading employees, projects and leaders is required.

•    Extensive experience in biopharmaceutical research and biologics drug discovery, including antibody discovery and development.

•    Demonstrated experience leading complex biotherapeutic research projects and initiatives across multidisciplinary teams, establishing scientific strategy and priorities, managing risks and resources, and driving timely, data-informed decisions against key program milestones.

•    Strong track record of scientific innovation, problem-solving, and delivery of impactful research outcomes.

•    Experience shaping portfolio strategy, evaluating scientific opportunities, and contributing to organizational priorities.

•    Proven experience mentoring, developing, and coaching scientists and future leaders.

•    Strong written and verbal communication skills, including scientific publications, presentations, patents, and technical reports.

•    Experience establishing and managing internal and external scientific collaborations.

•    Strategic thinker with the ability to balance scientific opportunity, risk, resource constraints, and business objectives.

•    Strong knowledge of animal welfare principles, ethical research practices, and regulatory requirements governing preclinical research.

•    Commitment to scientific excellence, integrity, compliance, and responsible research practices.

•    Requires project management ability and excellent written and oral presentation skills

•    Requires occasional international travel

Desired Experience, Skills and Abilities:

•    Ability to apply AI/ML-enabled workflows to antibody discovery

•    Familiarity with digital antibody-discovery and sequence-analysis platforms, such as Genedata Biologics, Geneious, PipeBio, 10x Genomics analysis tools, or comparable systems

Eligibility Requirements:

•    Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.

•    Must be willing to take a drug test and post-offer physical (if required)

•    Must be 18 years of age or older

Compensation Data

This position offers a base salary typically between $166,600 and $250,000.  The position may be eligible for a role specific variable or performance-based bonus and or other compensation elements.  For an overview of our benefits please click here.

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