Scientist, Preclinical Development
Company: Visterra, Inc.
Location: Waltham
Posted on: March 19, 2026
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Job Description:
Summary The Scientist, Preclinical Development is responsible
for supporting activities related to transitioning drug development
candidates from research into early development to enable clinical
studies. Visterra is seeking a flexible candidate with broad-based
knowledge of immunology; knowledge/experience in antibody
therapeutics and preclinical development are preferred but not
required. This role will be responsible for activities related to
drug development candidates. They will be expected to design and
perform in vitro and ex vivo cell-based assays in lab to support
the evaluation of specificity and safety of drug development
candidates. They will assist in advancing the team’s understanding
of programs transitioning from research to development, which
includes working cross-functionally with research teams to
understand the biology of targets, as well as performing
independent literature research on target pharmacology, diseases of
interest, and key/relevant biomarkers to support program
development. The ideal candidate would have a Ph.D in biochemistry,
molecular biology, immunology or related field with 0-3 years of
experience post-graduation, although candidates with a B.S. or M.S.
in these fields who have at least 5 years of research experience in
either academic or biotech settings- particularly those with
experience in antibody therapeutics- are also encouraged to apply.
This is a full-time position based on-site at Visterra’s facility
in Waltham, MA, with anywhere from 20-80% of time allocated to
working in the lab, based on departmental and program needs.
Responsibilities Work cross-functionally with research teams to
support transfer of program knowledge and assays from research to
development Conduct specificity/binding experiments, ex vivo
cytokine secretion assays, potency and other cell-based functional
assays to help characterize and support new programs entering the
development phase Designs, analyzes and interprets quantitative
pharmacology and in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo PK/PD/RO studies and
communicates results to teams and management. Review, analyze,
graph, interpret and present data at internal and/or cross
functional team meetings Write/review study reports to support IND
or CTA filings Provide support for regulatory submissions as needed
Perform independent literature reviews on relevant diseases,
biomarkers, and therapeutics to advance understanding of
nonclinical programs Oversee external contractors to leverage
appropriate preclinical in-vitro and in-vivo models and procedures
to support development programs. Other duties and responsibilities
as required by departmental and business needs Requirements At
least 5 years of research experience, either in an academic or
biotech setting; experience with biologics is highly desirable An
M.S. or Ph.D. in Immunology, Biology, Biochemistry, or related
field is preferable, although candidates with a Bachelor of Science
(BS) degree with significant research experience are also
encouraged to apply Ability to execute and troubleshoot experiments
independently, document results, and perform quality review of data
from both internal and outsourced studies Excellent written and
verbal communication skills Demonstrated ability to perform as a
team player and complete tasks according to established deadlines
The ability to think critically, synthesize and extract simple
principles from complex datasets, communicate effectively across a
broad spectrum of audiences Familiarity with Microsoft Office,
including Teams, as well as Prism GraphPad preferred Limited travel
to attend conferences and/or industry events that support the
candidate’s professional development will be expected ( Company
Visterra is a clinical stage biotechnology company committed to
developing innovative antibody-based therapies for the treatment of
patients with kidney, immune-mediated and other hard-to-treat
diseases. Our proprietary technology platform enables the design
and engineering of precision antibody-based product candidates that
specifically bind to, and modulate, key disease targets. Applying
this technology to disease targets that are not adequately
addressed by traditional therapeutic approaches, we are developing
a robust pipeline of novel therapies for patients with unmet needs.
Visterra’s pipeline has multiple clinical-stage assets and one
approved therapeutic, sibeprenlimab. As a member of the Otsuka
family of companies, we are uniquely positioned as a small,
dynamic, nimble and innovative organization where individuals and
teams are empowered to make big impacts – while benefiting from the
support, strength, stability and long-term perspective of a
100-year-old global company. Visterra has approximately 105
employees and is located in Waltham, Massachusetts. Visterra
provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and
applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and
harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion,
age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected
veteran status, sexual o rientation, gender identity or expression,
or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local
laws.
Keywords: Visterra, Inc., Manchester , Scientist, Preclinical Development, Science, Research & Development , Waltham, New Hampshire
