About RQ Bio

RQ Biotechnology (RQ Bio) is a UK virology biotech developing long-acting monoclonal antibodies against seasonal influenza. Our discovery engine combines computational design with experimental antibody discovery, and we are now building our next generation of programmes.

The Role

We are looking for a Principal Scientist to own antibody characterisation and screening strategy across our next-generation discovery programmes. Antibodies flow into our screening cascade from multiple computational and discovery workstreams. You will decide how they are tested, interpret what the data is telling us, and recommend which molecules move forward. This is a scientific decision-making role: you will set progression criteria, identify liabilities early and drive candidate selection alongside our discovery, engineering, computational and virology teams.

You will also stay close enough to the bench to troubleshoot an SPR run, challenge an assay result or help a scientist work through an unexpected dataset.

What You Will Do

• Lead biochemical and biophysical characterisation and optimisation of therapeutic antibodies.
• Define screening strategies, experimental approaches and progression criteria across the cascade.
• Design and oversee SPR/BLI, ELISA, binding, kinetics, specificity, stability and developability assays.
• Integrate characterisation and functional data to identify liabilities and recommend which antibodies progress.
• Lead multiple concurrent discovery and optimisation workstreams.
• Work closely with antibody discovery, engineering, computational and virology colleagues.
• Manage CROs and external scientific partners.
• Remain hands-on enough to support and troubleshoot laboratory work.
• Mentor and develop scientists, with potential line-management responsibility.
• Contribute to preclinical characterisation and next-generation formats, including multispecifics and antibody conjugates.