The Institute for Protein Innovation (IPI)is a nonprofit research organization advancing protein science to accelerate research and improve human health. Founded in 2017 and located in Boston’s Longwood Medical Area, the Institute’s three-pronged strategy is to build protein tools, conduct related internal research and develop educational programs for the protein science and biological research communities.
With a significant endowment, IPI uniquely combines the freedom of academia with the high throughput and scale of industry to take on transformative projects. IPI has built a robust platform for discovering, developing, and distributing synthetic antibodies and other protein tools to share with the biomedical community. The Institute's deep protein expertise, collaborative spirit and research tools are powering new biomedical and therapeutic discoveries with a growing community of researchers at Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital and other institutions across Greater Boston and beyond.
Job Overview
IPI's antibody and protein technology development is a core area of excellence and a key component of IPI's larger mission. The IPI platform, characterization, and neuroscience teams generate well-characterized, recombinant antibodies against human cell surface receptors and their ligands, particularly those that are traditionally difficult to target, and are developing next-generation engineered proteins and technologies. The Product Manager will own the strategic direction of IPI's antibody reagent and therapeutic-enabling product portfolio, translating deep scientific and market knowledge into a coherent product strategy. This role bridges the scientific teams, business development, and the external life-science community, ensuring IPI invests its resources in the antibody and protein products, formats, and markets that will create the greatest impact for researchers and drug developers.
The successful candidate will:
- Define and continuously refine IPI's product portfolio strategy by identifying and prioritizing the antibody reagent and therapeutic markets, targets, and formats where IPI's platform can have the greatest scientific and commercial impact
- Serve as the primary link between IPI's scientific teams and the external market, translating platform capabilities into product concepts and translating market and customer needs back into scientific priorities
- Bring rigor, structure, and follow-through to portfolio decisions, balancing scientific opportunity against resourcing, feasibility, and market demand
- Respond quickly and reliably to internal and external stakeholders, from scientific leadership to commercial partners, building trust through consistent, clear communication
- Be a resourceful, hands-on problem solver who can navigate ambiguity, synthesize incomplete information, and drive decisions to closure
- Collaborate closely across science, business development, communications, and leadership to keep the portfolio aligned with IPI's nonprofit mission and long-term strategy
Responsibilities and Duties
Product Strategy & Portfolio Management
- Drive the development of product definitions and portfolio plans that optimize IPI's antibody reagent and protein technology offerings
- Apply broad knowledge of IPI's platform capabilities and the competitive landscape to identify new growth areas, emerging technologies, and product opportunities
- Evaluate resource allocation across new and existing products, balancing the portfolio mix relative to IPI's overall scientific and business strategy
- Lead in-depth market analyses and build business cases for optimizing existing products or developing next-generation offerings
Market & Opportunity Identification
- Evaluate business opportunities by analyzing targeted markets, market trends, emerging technologies, and the competitive environment in antibody discovery, protein engineering, and therapeutic development
- Identify and prioritize the biological targets, disease areas, and customer segments where IPI's antibodies and protein reagents can address unmet needs
- Monitor competitive activity and translate customer and market feedback into actionable product requirements
- Establish pricing and licensing strategies, in coordination with Business Development, that reflect market positioning and IPI's nonprofit mission
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with the platform, characterization, and neuroscience teams to create products and validate early product definitions
- Partner with Business Development to prepare proposals, value propositions, and partnership frameworks that reflect portfolio priorities
- Coordinate with the Communications team on outreach materials, presentations, and content that accurately represent product capabilities
- Represent IPI's product strategy at scientific conferences, partner meetings, and industry events as needed
Execution & Program Management
- Track and manage the product pipeline, including timelines, deliverables, and reporting requirements
- Maintain organized, up-to-date documentation of portfolio decisions, market analyses, and product roadmaps
- Respond promptly to internal requests and external inquiries, ensuring IPI is seen as a responsive and reliable partner
- Proactively identify and resolve issues that could delay product development or partnership execution
Qualifications
- Ph.D. or M.S. in a relevant scientific field (e.g., molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, protein engineering, biotechnology) and a minimum of five (5) years related industry experience.
- Strong understanding of the antibody reagent and therapeutic business, including how antibodies and protein tools move from discovery through licensing, partnership, or clinical development
- Demonstrated experience identifying and prioritizing the right markets, targets, or customer segments for a scientific product or platform
- Proven ability to manage a product portfolio, including evaluating trade-offs and allocating resources across competing priorities
- Excellent organizational skills, with a track record of managing multiple workstreams and following through on commitments
- A responsive, collaborative communication style; comfortable working across scientific, commercial, and leadership teams
- Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to work through ambiguity and drive projects to resolution
- Ability to translate complex scientific concepts into clear product and market strategy
Preferred
- Prior experience in a nonprofit, academic research, or mission-driven scientific organization
- Familiarity with IP/licensing, research agreements, MTAs/DTAs, and collaborative research models
- Established network within the antibody, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or protein engineering communities
- Experience working directly with cell surface receptor or ligand biology
$130,000 - $160,000 a year
To be determined based on the candidate's experience and qualifications.
IPI provides competitive compensation and an excellent benefits package to support physical, mental and financial health. Highlights of benefits include:
· 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision plans
· Flexible spending accounts and a healthcare reimbursement account
· 401(k) plan with generous 6% employer match – immediately 100% vested
· Generous PTO package
· Commuter and parking reimbursement
· Career development opportunities
For more information, visit proteininnovation.org or follow us on social media, @ipiproteins. IPI is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit research organization and an equal-opportunity employer. The Institute celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Please be advised that you will be required to provide evidence of your identity and eligibility for employment in the United States. IPI will not guarantee sponsorship of foreign nationals and retains complete discretion regarding providing sponsorship to any prospective or existing employee at time of hire or at any time in the future.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.