Principal Scientist, Target Discovery & Portfolio Strategy
Join Xaira Therapeutics as a Principal Scientist to leverage AI in drug discovery and shape the portfolio strategy.
Posted by employer 2 days ago
First seen on Joblaze 16 hours ago
Last verified on the company career page 16 hours ago
Skills & Technologies
What you'll build
- Identify promising disease areas
- Find and prioritize targets
- Assess platform fit
- Evaluate the evidence
- Build clear recommendations
Must have
- PhD in immunology or a related field
- 6+ years of industry experience in drug discovery
- Experience with human genetics and multi-omics datasets
- Strong scientific judgment
- Clear communication skills
Nice to have
- Curiosity and independence
- Willingness to challenge assumptions
AI in the day-to-day
Use AI tools to analyze multi-modal data.
Requirements
- Experience
- 6+ years
- Education
- PhD
Not disclosed in this posting: work arrangement, visa sponsorship.
Benefits
Joblaze summary
In the role of Principal Scientist at Xaira Therapeutics, the individual will focus on identifying and prioritizing new therapeutic opportunities by integrating various datasets and scientific research. Key skills include expertise in immunology, experience with human genetics and multi-omics data, and the ability to translate complex scientific findings into actionable strategies. This position is suited for a seasoned professional with a PhD and a strong background in drug discovery, who is adept at navigating the evolving landscape of therapeutic development.
Joblaze insights
- Listed today — first seen on Joblaze October 15, 2026. Last confirmed on Xaira Therapeutics's careers page October 15, 2026.
- Salary band is above the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$129,391).
- Starts above 17% of 82 comparable principal other roles in United States we track (median $190,000 across 29 companies).
- AI/ML appears in 2.7% of 182 comparable principal other roles in United States.
Quick facts
- What's the salary range?
- Xaira Therapeutics lists $164,000–$205,000 for this role.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 6 years of relevant experience for this Principal Scientist, Target Discovery & Portfolio Strategy role.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: AI/ML.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Xaira Therapeutics targets principal-level candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Principal Scientist, Target Discovery & Portfolio Strategy role at Xaira Therapeutics.
From the original posting
About Xaira Therapeutics
About the Role
We are looking for a Principal Scientist with a strong background in immunology to identify new therapeutic opportunities and help shape Xaira’s portfolio.
You will integrate internal datasets, human genetics, and published research to prioritize opportunities that address patient needs and build on Xaira’s target discovery and antibody design platforms. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys connecting scientific findings and translating them into strategic decisions.
In this role, you will:
- Identify promising disease areas. Assess unmet needs, disease mechanisms, patient subsets, and the limitations of current treatments.
- Find and prioritize targets. Combine human genetics, functional genomics, genome-scale multi-omics datasets, and patient data to develop strong therapeutic hypotheses.
- Assess platform fit. Work with molecular design, protein engineering, and functional screening teams to identify opportunities where our platforms could offer a therapeutic advantage.
- Evaluate the evidence. Assess causality, the desired direction of target modulation, safety risks, and key knowledge gaps.
- Build clear recommendations. Develop concise target assessments covering disease rationale, patient selection, competition, differentiation, and risks.
- Track emerging science and competition. Follow publications and clinical results, and monitor the competitive landscape to identify new opportunities and inform priorities.
- Use AI tools to analyze multi-modal data.
- Lead discovery programs or platform initiatives.
We are looking for someone with:
- PhD in immunology or a related field with 6+ years of industry experience in drug discovery, target discovery, preclinical drug development, or translational drug development.
- Experience drawing on human genetics, genome-scale multi-omics datasets, and other human data alongside cell biology, disease biology, and clinical findings to evaluate therapeutic hypotheses.
- Strong scientific judgment and the ability to distinguish an interesting association from a credible therapeutic opportunity.
- Clear communication skills and the ability to guide decisions across disciplines.
- Curiosity, independence, and a willingness to challenge assumptions and revise recommendations as the evidence evolves.
Compensation
We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, seeking to provide an open, flexible, and friendly work environment to empower employees and provide them with a platform to develop their long-term careers. A Summary of Benefits is available for all applicants. We offer a competitive package that includes base salary, bonus, and equity. The base pay range for this position is expected to be $164,000-$205,000 annually; however, the base pay offered may vary depending on the market, job-related knowledge, skills and capabilities, and experience.
Standard company text repeated across Xaira Therapeutics's postings is omitted here.
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