Garvan Institute of Medical Research brings together world leading scientists and clinicians, collaborating locally and globally, to advance our understanding of disease, particularly cancer, autoimmunity and genetic disorders. Garvan is a global leader in fundamental biomedical research and its translation. Our mission is to make discoveries that will improve health for all. Building on our scientific strengths in genomics, cancer and immunology, enabled by cutting-edge technology and world-class facilities, and the support of our passionate Garvan family, our researchers and professional staff, we will drive more of our discoveries to clinical and societal impact. At Garvan, we see a future where all diseases can be prevented, treated or cured. Everyone is touched by disease. Our discoveries today will lead to better health tomorrow. THE OPPORTUNITY We are seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Research Officer or Research Officer to contribute to the development of next-generation protein therapeutics (including multispecific formats, antibody drug conjugates, immunotoxins, peptides). This role utilises computational design and experimental validation iteratively for progression of therapeutic candidates towards lead selection. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the end-to-end development of innovative biologics—from ideation through to clinical translation—within the newly established biologics platform embedded in a leading healthcare hub. This environment offers unparalleled resources and collaborative advantages to accelerate translational medicine and bring next-generation therapeutics to patients. The successful candidate will work closely with all members from the Biologics platform, Development platform, cross-functional teams, mentor junior scientists, and collaborate with internal and external partners, including CROs. The role offers significant growth and development opportunities for the right candidate with full support from Lead Scientist – Biologics and Chief Translational Officer to develop towards a leadership role for a therapeutic portfolio or platform of interest. Salary: Up to $128,000 (depending on experience) 14% super salary packaging Employment Type: 2 year fixed-term contract with possibility to extend SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses $2,650 meals/accom) Ample opportunities for on-going training and development Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment Flexible work arrangements e.g. start / finish times 18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave Discounted Health Insurance Lifestyle discounts with our community partners WHAT YOU WILL DO Key Responsibilities: Molecular design using sequence, structure and AI-guided approaches for engineering therapeutic proteins with desired properties Molecular modelling of protein-protein complexes, molecular dynamics simulations and structural analysis Experience with either physics-based molecular modelling, and/or use of AI to support antibody variant designs will be highly regarded Design of expression constructs for recombinant protein production Design of experiments to support protein purifications and characterisations Training, mentoring of junior staff in wet lab workflows to support protein purifications and analytical assessments as required Maintain accurate and up to date experimental write ups Timely communications with group members and collaborators to support decision making in a fast-paced environment Strategic Design, Leadership, Stakeholder engagement Partner with Biologics and Development platforms and collaborators to define project strategies, timelines, and deliverables. Mentor junior scientists in experimental design, execution, and data interpretation. Collaborate effectively with internal and external partners including CROs. Communicate scientific findings clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. Active participation in weekly group meetings, institute-wide forums Innovation Stay current with relevant literature to inform internal decision-making and identify opportunities for capability growth. Drive adoption of cutting-edge technologies in protein engineering workflows An interest to learn and develop data science skills to support the Biologics team (e.g. big data mining and management, bioinformatics or structural bioinformatics) Contribute to intellectual property development and scientific publications. ABOUT YOU The key skills and experience include: Education: Ph.D. in Protein Engineering, Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, or related field. Experience Senior Research Officer: 5 years of experience in protein engineering/molecular design or structural biology, protein purification and characterization workflows. Experience with detailed structural analysis Demonstrated experience in either physics based molecular modelling, or AI/ML tools with the ability to relate information to the relevant target landscape and desired mechanism of action. Proven experience mentoring junior staff Research Officer: Relevant experience in protein engineering, structural biology, protein purification, binding analysis and characterization. Demonstrated experience in protein structure analysis, basic molecular biology and biophysical assays and some experience with molecular modelling and protein-docking Strong interest to further develop skills in molecular modelling, protein docking and AI/ML-guided molecular design for therapeutic applications Attributes High integrity and accountability. Strong communication and documentation skills. Respectful stakeholder management. Creative problem-solving and adaptability. Commitment to health and safety practices. ABOUT GARVAN Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest and most highly regarded MRI’s. Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome. We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease. Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are always looking for culture ‘add’, not culture ‘fit’ and are building diverse teams with great sets of complementary styles and skills to help deliver our important work effectively. HOW TO APPLY To apply for this position, please submit your application with a CV and cover letter as one document, stating why you are interested in this role. We are reviewing applications as they are received. If you think you’re the right person for this role, we’d love to hear how your capabilities, achievements and experience set you apart. Only applicants with full working rights in Australia are eligible to apply for this role.
