Scientist R&D Molecular Design (m/f/d)
Job ID: 61464
Location: Heidelberg, DE
Job Level: Professionals
Job Category: Research and Development
Employment Type: Permanent position

Become part of a vital chain and contribute to our common goal of making people’s lives better. Octapharma is one of the largest human protein manufacturers in the world, developing and producing medicines sourced from human plasma and human cell lines. We are a privately-owned company, where the warmth of family meets the scale of a global organisation.

Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals GmbH with more than 200 employees is a subsidiary of the Octapharma group founded in 1997 and successfully expanding. Our core business is the development of recombinant proteins produced in human cell lines for therapeutic use in humans. We strive for effective treatments with an improved tolerability and convenience for our patients.

Join us in shaping our vision to provide new health solutions advancing human life.

We are looking for a highly skilled and motivated Scientist (m/f/d) to join the Molecular Design unit in the Research & Development Department at Octapharma Biopharmaceuticals. The successful applicant will take on a multifaceted role in a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team focusing on biologics drug discovery in the fields of Immunology and Hematology. The scientist will contribute to the identification and optimization of therapeutic candidates by leveraging advanced phage display technologies and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) workflows.
Key activities will include designing and constructing display libraries, performing selection, integrating NGS for diversity analysis, conducting literature-based exploration of target molecule biology, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to drive innovative solutions and ensure scientific excellence throughout the discovery process.
Design and construct phage display libraries (antibody fragments, peptides, or alternative scaffolds) for therapeutic discovery campaigns
Perform selection and screening of phage libraries using biopanning and enrichment strategies
Integrate Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) workflows for library quality control, diversity assessment, and hit identification
Analyze sequencing and experimental data to monitor enrichment and guide candidate optimization
Develop and optimize directed evolution strategies to improve affinity, stability, and developability
Collaborate closely with protein engineering, computational biology, and project teams; coordinate external lead discovery activities
Prepare scientific reports and documentation; present findings in project and departmental meetings
Stay informed about the latest scientific developments and apply relevant insights to ongoing projects

Ph.D. (preferred) in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Immunology, or related field or M.Sc. with at least 3 years relevant professional experience
Hands-on experience with phage display platforms and antibody/peptide selection techniques
Strong knowledge of library design and construction, molecular cloning, and expression systems (bacterial, yeast, mammalian)
Proficiency in NGS workflows for diversity analysis and hit tracking, familiarity with bioinformatics tools for sequence analysis
Excellent scientific research, data analysis, and interpretation skills
Excellent communication skills in English; German knowledge is a plus
Strong problem-solving ability, attention to detail, and capacity to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment


Additional valued Qualifications


Understanding of antibody structure-function relationships and engineering strategies
Experience with automation and high-throughput screening
Programming or scripting experience for data analysis
Familiarity with other display technologies (e.g., yeast, mammalian)

A permanent position in full-time (40 hrs./week) in a dynamically growing company
A modern, "state of the art" w...