Scientist / Sr. Scientist, Biomarkers (Autoimmune Diseases)
: Job Details :

IGM Biosciences (Nasdaq: IGMS) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to developing and delivering a new class of medicines to treat patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The Company's pipeline of clinical and preclinical assets is based on the IgM antibody, which has 10 binding sites, compared to conventional IgG antibodies with only 2 binding sites. We have created unique IgM antibodies with high selectivity, affinity, and avidity that may redefine what is possible for therapeutic antibody medicines. We are committed to exploring how the unique structure and binding properties of the IGM antibody can improve outcomes for patients with these serious conditions. The Company also has an exclusive worldwide collaboration agreement with Sanofi to create, develop, manufacture, and commercialize IgM antibody agonists against oncology, immunology, and inflammation targets. For more information, please visit www.igmbio.com.

Imvotamab in Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases

Imvotamab is a bispecific T cell engaging IgM antibody targeting CD20 and CD3 proteins. We believe that Imvotamab, with its 10 binding units for CD20, may successfully bind to CD20 expressing B cells with more power (avidity) compared to an IgG bispecific antibody with only one or two binding units for CD20. Our preclinical studies suggest that Imvotamab may offer the potential for deeper depletion of B cells, including those in low CD20 expressing cells, than currently approved antibody therapies. We are evaluating Imvotamab in Phase 1b clinical trials of Imvotamab in severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (myositis).

Position Summary

We seek a Scientist / Senior Scientist willing to do bench work and be a strategic thinker. The ideal candidate has deep knowledge of adaptive and innate immunity in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, focusing on B and T cells. The selected candidate will based in either the San Francisco Bay Area or Doylestown, PA, will have experience with T-cell engagers or CAR-Ts, and will be an expert in multi-parameter flow cytometry of primary human and mouse cells with a broad understanding and practical application of cell-based assays to address the function of T-cell engager antibodies. A significant advantage is having experience in clinical biomarker strategy design and execution through CROs and internal resources.

As a Scientist in clinical Biomarkers, Autoimmune, and inflammation, you will assist with driving biomarker and drug development efforts for our clinical programs in autoimmunity. The optimal candidate will have a strong scientific background, curiosity and creativity, experience leading and executing autoimmunity or immunology-focused programs, a strong drive to succeed, and the ability to work well with other research, translational, and clinical scientists.

Responsibilities:

• Assist with oversight for one or more clinical biomarker programs.
• Translate preclinical hypotheses into clinical biomarker strategies.
• Generate and analyze diverse biomarker data to derive scientific insights, validate these insights with experimental approaches, and translate them into development/diagnostic opportunities.
• Utilize your thorough understanding of disease and drug target biology and provide disease area biomarker expertise.
• Collaborate with discovery research, clinical development groups, key external investigators, and opinion leaders.
• Present at cross-functional teams and external conferences.
• Write biomarker sections of clinical protocols, reports, regulatory filings, and scientific publications.

• Level commensurate with experience.
• Sponsor company/biopharma industry experience in clinical biomarkers and drug development.
• For Scientist level minimum 2+ years industry experience and PhD or MS 7+ years, BS 12+ years. (e.g., immunology, rheumatology, molecular biology).
• Familiar with other biomarker analyses such as immunoassays and immunohistochemistry (IHC), including ELISA or MSD assays.
• For Sr. Scientist / AD level Industry minimum sponsor company experience and PhD 8+ years, MS 15+ years, BS 17+ years.
• A deep understanding of human immunology and preclinical immune-related models is required, along with the ability to distill complex issues, effectively visualize data, and develop hypotheses and direct analysis plans.
• Fluent in flow cytometry analysis and interpretation.
• Expert in multi parameter flow cytometry of primary human, non-human primate, and mouse cells
• Experience with in vivo autoimmune models and humanized mouse models is a plus
• Experience in clinical biomarker strategy, design, and execution, especially for T cell engagers, through CROs and internal resources would be a significant advantage

For all level Scientists:

• Strong communication skills, cross-functional teamwork, data interpretation, and biomarker strategy, including data interpretation and rationale articulation skills and experience. (adept at making go or no-go decisions)
• Knowledge and/or experience in translational research, human immune response assessments, and molecular assays.
• Key deliverables for this position will be the analysis of clinical biomarker datasets; thus, experience integrating biomarkers into clinical trials to enable decision-making is required.
• Familiarity and/or experience with big data analytics tools such as R, Python, Partek flow, Spotfire, or other data analysis programming such as Prism or SAS is desirable.
• Demonstrated initiative and successful leadership/collaboration experience within cross-functional teams.
• Outstanding presentation and communication skills, including strong writing skills, as evidenced by publications, meeting abstracts, and/or drug development reports.
• Travel - 10-15%.
• Location: This position can be based in Mountain View, CA or Doylestown, PA, for a qualified biomarker scientist willing to travel.