Scientist/Sr Scientist, Protein Engineering

Earli tackles the #1 problem in the $100B cancer drug market: systemic toxicity. On-target/off-tumor effects force suboptimal dosing, reduced efficacy and sidelining some of the most potent drug classes such as cytokines. Earli’s BioAI approach flips this paradigm: Drugs are produced only where needed— in the tumor, by the tumor, against the tumor.

Cancer cells become their own drug factories, enabling localized immune activation, even in cold tumors. This was enabled by three core innovations: Extrahepatic lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that reach tumors such as lung cancer AI-designed genetic switches that activate only in malignant cells by sensing transcription factor dysregulation Local production of immune therapies (TCEs, cytokines, multispecifics) at the tumor site — “produce locally, consume locally” Together, these technologies create a new biological control layer, allowing tumors to self-identify and trigger their own targeted immune attack—achieving specificity beyond current targeted or IO therapies. Earli plans to enter the clinic by mid-2027 with a Phase 1/2 lung cancer trial.

The company is backed by a16z, Khosla, Perceptive, Alex Gorsky, Marc Benioff, Breyer, Emerson Collective, Sands Capital and others. The SAB includes Jim Allison (Nobel Laureate, MD Anderson), Bob Langer (Co-founder Moderna, MIT), Phil Greenberg (Co-founder Juno), Amy Abernethy (frm. Principal Deputy FDA Commissioner), Bill Hait (former J&J EVP Oncology R&D), and Alan Ashworth (President UCSF Cancer Center).

The leadership team brings deep gene therapy, LNP, CMC and tech experience; CEO Cyriac Roeding previously led a $250M (11x return) exit.

Who You Are

You share our same sense of dedication, scientific passion and entrepreneurial spirit You work well in a fast-paced and extremely focused startup environment You are not only smart, but clever and constantly think outside the box You are able to make logical decisions in an instant when there is little time to evaluate You are a natural communicator and relationship builder You stay calm under high pressure and stress You have the ability to multi-task in a serious way, with an extreme attention to detail You become a representative of the core DNA of the company through

The Position Earli is seeking a highly motivated and scientifically rigorous Scientist/Senior Scientist to join our Therapeutics Group. This is a hands-on, bench-based role in which you will drive the design, engineering, and functional characterization of novel protein-based therapeutic candidates targeting the tumor microenvironment and the immune system's response to cancer. You will bring deep expertise in molecular/protein design and medium-throughput mammalian protein expression/purification systems, combined with a strong immunology or immuno-oncology foundation to design, express, and functionally characterize immune agonist payloads using primary immune cells.

You will work at the intersection of protein science and translational immunology, partnering closely with the broader Therapeutics and Platform teams to advance Earli's pipeline from early-stage discovery through preclinical proof-of-concept. This position reports to the Head of Therapeutics.

Responsibilities

Molecular/Protein Design & Engineering Design novel protein therapeutics—including cytokines, immune agonists, fusion proteins, bispecific constructs (multi-domain and 2A-based), leveraging structure-function knowledge and/or computational tools to guide engineering hypotheses. Engineer protein variants to optimize potency, selectivity, half-life, manufacturability, or other developability attributes relevant to DNA encoded oncology applications. Identify strategies to improve candidate properties based on experimental outcomes.

Stay current with the scientific literature on protein therapeutics, bispecific engager biology, cytokine engineering, and relevant tumor immunology to inform design decisions.