Scientist and Site Head

Based in Durham, North Carolina, Xilis, Inc. is a biotechnology company developing a precision oncology platform that guides treatment decisions for oncologists to improve cancer care outcomes for patients and supports drug discovery and development for pharmaceutical companies. Xilis’ proprietary MicroOrganoSpheres (MOS) are miniature patient tumors that capture the full microenvironment and heterogeneity and provide an automated and scalable solution. Using MOS and AI-driven algorithms, Xilis is developing a Xilis Response Score™ for the clinic, enabling oncologists to make informed and timely treatment decisions. Additionally, the MOS technology is speeding up the development and clinical trials of cancer drugs by enabling analysis of authentic tumor microenvironments, high-throughput preclinical modeling, and clinical patient selection capabilities. We are supported in this mission by top Silicon Valley, New York, and international venture firms that are leaders in the healthcare space and have invested in top precision medicine companies including Foundation Medicine and Guardant Health. The company is building a new R&D and Operations site in Texas and looking for entrepreneurially-minded individuals to lead its implementation. Responsibilities Xilis is looking for an experienced scientist-entrepreneur with a strong entrepreneurial mindset and managerial experience to take on a critical position supporting Xilis expansion in Texas with a dual mandate in operations and science. In this role, the individual hired will join in a leadership role and initially ensure the company can quickly and efficiently establish a high-quality research, development, and operations site in a new state. In its operating capacity, the Scientist and Site Head, Xilis Texas, will partner with Xilis’ senior leadership located in North Carolina and California to seamlessly transfer the know-how and technology of the company across state lines and start contributing to the company’s success in record time. The individual will serve as the senior-most representative of the company in Texas. In its scientist capacity, he or she will work with world-class scientists and engineers to help refine the quality and characteristics of the various discovery and screening assays that will eventually be implemented on the world’s first ultra-high-throughput screening systems for 3D models of tissue and disease. The platform implemented, developed, and operated in part by the candidate and the Texas team will be used in support of partnerships with the largest and most prominent drug discovery companies in a variety of modalities - chemotherapies, targeted agents, immune-oncology modulators, cell-based therapies, etc. The successful candidate will bring exceptional skills to the laboratory and an ability to work on large and complex experiments and will have prior experience in cell culture, cell viability assays, and experience with lab instrumentation, including an ability to troubleshoot issues and efficiently interface with technical subject matter experts towards rapid resolution of issues. He or she will also have strong attention to detail and the integrity to precisely report any deviation or issue observed in the laboratory. Finally, the candidate’s communication skills will be stellar. The candidate will be a quick study with a bias to action - and excited to learn about complex science and engineering. Xilis was created when its three founders — an engineer, a physician, and a biologist — decided to come together and commercialize their technology to transform cancer care. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. Furthermore, even if your work experience isn't perfectly aligned with what we've described above, if you're excited about what we're building then we want to talk to you!Xilis offers comprehensive health, vision, dental & retirement plans, and unlimited PTO. We are a remote-friendly team: our headquarters are in Durham, North Carolina, but we have team members across the US (and beyond!).