Principal Scientist, Biotherapeutics Discovery, Antibody Generation

Description

Boehringer Ingelheim is seeking a highly skilled Principal Scientist to lead the in vitro antibody discovery team within the Biotherapeutics Discovery organization in Ridgefield, CT. In this lab‑head role, the selected candidate will define and execute innovative in vitro strategies for phage and yeast display campaigns that drive therapeutic lead identification.

The role includes developing and advancing discovery workflows that integrate automation, high‑throughput screening, next‑generation sequencing (NGS), and AI/ML‑enabled approaches to enhance hit quality, accelerate timelines, and expand accessible sequence and functional diversity. This position combines scientific leadership with platform stewardship, encompassing staff mentorship, program‑level strategic contributions, and the maintenance of strong external scientific visibility through publications, presentations, and collaborations.

As a key scientific leader within the Antibody Generation group, the Principal Scientist will advance in vitro antibody discovery and support impactful pipeline decisions. The position promotes a culture of excellence through effective project execution, scientific innovation, staff development, and active engagement with the external scientific community.

As part of Boehringer Ingelheim, the successful candidate will contribute to the discovery, development, and delivery of products to patients and customers. The organization’s global presence provides opportunities for international collaboration, increasing visibility and enabling meaningful contributions to the company's success. Boehringer Ingelheim recognizes that its strength and competitive advantage lie in its people and supports employees through a healthy working environment, meaningful work, mobility, networking, and work‑life balance. Competitive compensation and benefit programs reflect the company's high regard for its workforce.

Duties & Responsibilities

•    Leads a scientific team responsible for generating novel antibodies using cutting‑edge in vitro discovery platforms, including phage and yeast display, machine‑learning–guided library evolution, and in silico antibody discovery and screening tools.
•    Designs and constructs high‑diversity antibody display libraries (phage and yeast) for therapeutic lead identification and affinity maturation.
•    Designs and implements innovative in vitro antibody discovery strategies, including panning, high throughput screening and NGS-guided hit prioritization, while integrating AI-accelerated hit identification and automated workflows.
•    Keeps the team at the forefront of emerging discovery technologies, including deep‑learning–based binder prediction, ML‑guided library design, and structure‑enabled computational workflows, making recommendations to advance Boehringer Ingelheim’s internal capabilities.
•    Drives a culture of scientific excellence, innovation, curiosity, and external visibility through publications, conference presentations, and collaborative partnerships.
•    Is familiar with advanced theory and current developments in the field of antibody discovery and makes recommendations to management regarding the advancement of capabilities. 
•    Demonstrates clear understanding of research team goals and works effectively toward achieving them; Has ability to participate as co-leader or representative on multiple project teams and contribute to defining expertise-related aspects of overall program goals. 
•    Partners with protein engineering, bioinformatics, translational sciences, and therapeutic area groups to ensure alignment of antibody design with program goals, including developability, functional activity, and manufacturability.
•    Maintains meticulous experimental records consistent with SOPs and regulatory expectations.
•    Prepares and delivers clear, compelling technical reports, presentations, and scientific communication to internal leadership and external scientific audiences
•    Contributes to departmental administration; demonstrate fiscal responsibility with respect to cost of experiments, technology, external collaborations, and travel

Requirements

•    Requires a PhD plus five (5) years’ industry experience in related field or equivalent. 
•    Expertise in phage, yeast, or mammalian display technologies; deep experience in molecular biology, NGS analysis, and antibody library construction.
•    Experience with bioinformatics, computational structural biology, or AI/ML‑based sequence or structure modeling strongly preferred.
•    Familiarity with software such as Geneious, GeneData Biologics, PipeBio or other similar tools.
•    One (1) to three (3) years’ experience leading employees and projects is preferred
•    Requires project management ability and excellent written and oral presentation skills

Desired Experience, Skills and Abilities:
•    Needs experience in one or more of the skills listed above, along with knowledge of the skill center process and the ability to apply those skills to the process. Requires international travel and collaboration

Eligibility Requirements:

•    Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.
•    Must be willing to take a drug test and post-offer physical (if required)
•    Must be 18 years of age or older

Compensation Data

This position offers a base salary typically between $140,000.00 and $222,000.00 USD.  The position may be eligible for a role specific variable or performance based bonus and or other compensation elements.  For an overview of our benefits please click here.