Senior Associate Scientist, Biology

Job Description

Job Description

Why Join Us?

Parabilis Medicines is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to creating extraordinary medicines that unlock high-impact protein targets long-considered undruggable. The company has developed a new class of stabilized, cell-penetrant alpha-helical peptides – Helicons™ – capable of modulating intracellular proteins that are inaccessible to traditional drug modalities.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Parabilis is advancing a focused pipeline of multiple first-in-class therapies across both rare and common cancers. Its lead asset, zolucatetide (FOG-001), is a first-in-class, clinically validated direct inhibitor of the interaction between β-catenin and the T-cell factor (TCF) family of transcription factors, implicated in millions of cancer cases annually, including in colorectal cancer, desmoid tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma and a range of other Wnt/β-catenin-driven tumors. In Phase 1 clinical trials, zolucatetide produced the first-ever clinical evidence that it can directly inhibit this interaction, once previously considered "undruggable" despite its role across multiple cancer types. Parabilis is also advancing investigational degraders of ERG and ARON into clinical development for the treatment of prostate cancer, as well as progressing other preclinical programs. Backed by a recent $305 million Series F financing, Parabilis is entering an exciting phase of growth and execution.

What's the opportunity?

The Senior Associate Scientist will play a hands-on role in discovery and translational biology, leading assay development and generating mechanistic insights to support oncology programs from lead optimization through biomarker development. This individual will partner cross-functionally to deliver high-quality, decision-driving data and contribute to advancing novel targets.

• Design, develop, and optimize multiplexed cell-based and high-throughput assays to ensure robust, reproducible, and scalable data generation
• Improve assay throughput and efficiency through automation or semi-automation, proactively identifying risks and refining experimental strategies
• Drive mechanistic understanding of novel oncology targets through hypothesis-driven experimentation (e.g., CRISPR, knockdown, tool compounds, rescue strategies)
• Integrate internal data, literature, and public datasets to inform experimental design, interpret results, and refine scientific hypotheses
• Contribute to biomarker discovery efforts and support translational strategy development
• Collaborate cross-functionally with chemistry, DMPK, in vivo pharmacology, and data science teams to advance programs from hit-to-lead through IND-enabling studies
• Support assay transfer to CROs, including data review, troubleshooting, and performance tracking
• Present findings clearly to project teams and maintain rigorous documentation, including ELN entries and SOP development

What you'll need to be successful:

• Education & Experience:
  • Bachelor's degree with 5+ years or Master's degree with 4+ years of industry experience in a relevant field
  • Experience in discovery biology, with exposure to oncology or related therapeutic areas preferred
• Technical Expertise:
  • Strong hands-on experience developing and executing cell-based and high-throughput assays, including automation
  • Quantitative approach to assay design and data quality (controls, reproducibility, robustness metrics)
  • Experience designing and executing experiments independently and generating actionable insights from complex datasets
  • Familiarity with a subset of the following:
    • CRISPR/Cas9, gene editing/knockdown, overexpression systems
    • qPCR/RT-qPCR, Western blotting, flow cytometry
    • Reporter assays (e.g., luciferase, NanoBRET), protein–protein interaction assays
    • Mammalian cell culture and functional assays (e.g., proliferation, apoptosis)
    • High-throughput screening formats (e.g., 384-well)
    • Omics approaches (e.g., RNA-seq, proteomics) preferred
    • Automation platforms, ELN systems (e.g., Dotmatics), and SOP authorship
  • Core Capabilities:
    • Strong experimental rigor and data-driven decision-making
    • Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment
    • Effective cross-functional collaboration and clear scientific communication
    • Ownership mindset with ability to independently drive workstreams
  • Demonstrated ability to utilize AI tools for day-to-day work; baseline proficiency is expected, and advanced or innovative use of AI is a strong plus
  • Able to work on-site and attend in-person meetings

Core Values

Parabilis Medicines is a team of passionate pioneers who are trailblazing the future of precision medicine with the aim of making a meaningful difference in the lives of patients. The company is committed to promoting an inspiring and flourishing working environment for all employees across the business, in all departments, and driving innovation for patient benefit.

• Growth-Minded . We're inventing a new class of medicines—one applicable to therapeutic targets that have been dreamt about, but always considered impossible to drug. Our work requires us to be curious, humble and adaptable.
• In(ter)dependent. We are fiercely independent as a leader in defying the limitations of current therapeutic modalities, and interdependent as a team as we work collaboratively to shift drug discovery paradigms and provide patients with better treatment options.
• Patient-focused. We are deeply focused on patient outcomes, and all energy in the company is focused on science as it translates to patient impact.
• All-In. We're All-In on solving some of the hardest scientific challenges and delivering one of the most effective new classes of drugs in history.

The base salary range for this position is $88,000–$108,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and internal practices. Parabilis's total compensation package also includes an annual target bonus, equity, and a comprehensive suite of competitive benefits designed to support our employees' overall well-being.

As an equal opportunity employer, Parabilis Medicines values an inclusive workplace and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and experiences. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.

30 Acorn Park Drive | Cambridge, MA 02140 |