Protein Engineer - Biosensing

About this role

Melody, a Pasadena-based nonprofit research organization, seeks a protein engineer to develop innovative biosensors for real-time molecular monitoring. You'll design allosteric protein switches and signal transduction systems, lead wet lab screening, collaborate with hardware teams, and mentor junior scientists while bridging fundamental research with practical device applications.

What you'll do

• Design and engineer biosensor constructs using allosteric switches, linkers, reporter proteins, and chemical modifications
• Establish de novo protein design and directed evolution workflows for internal research operations
• Guide experimental screening campaigns and validate biosensor performance against target analytes
• Partner with hardware engineers to select and optimize protein constructs for device integration
• Mentor junior scientists and manage cross-functional collaboration with academic partners and external vendors
• Integrate device feedback to refine design strategies and improve biosensor development pipeline

What they're looking for

• Protein design (experimental and/or computational approaches)
• Structural biology and biophysics
• Optical and electrophysiological measurement techniques
• Directed evolution and protein selection methods
• Experimental design and scientific project management
• Technical communication across disciplines
• Data analysis and laboratory automation scripting
• Team leadership and cross-functional coordination