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Research scientist resume example

A senior industry scientist’s resume with a PhD, a postdoc and seven years in biotech. Industry hiring managers want to know which programs moved forward because of you, what platforms you built and whether you can lead people, so the bullets lead with those rather than with papers.

Research scientist (industry) resume example, page 1 of 2Ananya KrishnaswamySenior Scientist, Protein Engineeringananya.krishnaswamy@example.com · (650) 555-0157 · South San Francisco, CA · linkedin.com/in/ananyakrishnaswamySUMMARYProtein engineer with a Ph.D. in biochemistry and seven years in biotech, leadingantibody discovery and optimization for oncology and immunology programs. Idesign campaigns that find developable molecules fast, build the platforms that makethe next campaign faster, and lead scientists who grow.EXPERIENCESenior Scientist, Protein EngineeringJan 2022 – PresentBayshore Therapeutics · South San Francisco, CA–Lead antibody engineering for 3 programs; the bispecific I optimized wasnominated as a development candidate and entered IND-enabling studies in 2025.–Built a yeast display and next-generation sequencing platform that cut leadoptimization from 9 months to 4 across 5 campaigns.–Introduced an early developability panel (SEC, DSF, polyreactivity) that removed70% of poor candidates before costly in vivo studies.–Manage 2 scientists and 2 research associates; both scientists promoted within 2years.–Represent protein engineering on 2 cross-functional project teams with biology,CMC and clinical.ScientistSep 2019 – Dec 2021Peninsula Biologics · Redwood City, CA–Ran phage display campaigns against 6 targets, delivering binders for every targetwithin 12 weeks.–Characterized 400 antibodies by SPR and BLI and built the team’s kinetics analysisworkflow in Python.–Co-inventor on 2 patent applications for anti-cytokine antibodies.Postdoctoral ScholarAug 2017 – Aug 2019Stanford University School of Medicine · Stanford, CA–Engineered stabilized cytokine variants by computational design; first author on apaper in Nature Communications.EDUCATIONPh.D. in Biochemistry2011 – 2017University of California, Berkeley · Berkeley, CAB.S. in Biology2007 – 2011University of Michigan · Ann Arbor, MISELECTEDPUBLICATIONS ANDPATENTSAnti-IL-23 antibodies and methods of use2022U.S. patent application (co-inventor)Computational stabilization of a four-helix cytokine for therapeutic use2019Nature Communications–A. Krishnaswamy, J. Oduya, M. Feld, R. CastañedaAnanya Krishnaswamy · 1 / 2
Research scientist (industry) resume example, page 2 of 2SKILLSAntibody engineering · Phage and yeast display · NGS analysis · Bispecific formats ·SPR (Biacore) and BLI (Octet) · Developability assessment ·Mammalian expression (CHO, HEK293) · ÄKTA purification · Rosetta · Python ·Team leadership · Cross-functional project teamsAnanya Krishnaswamy · 2 / 2
Research scientist (industry)Use this example

What recruiters look for

  • Programs advanced: candidates nominated, milestones reached, assets that entered development. This is the industry equivalent of a high-impact paper.
  • Platforms and capabilities: methods you built that made the whole team faster or better.
  • Techniques at expert level: the methods you are hired to bring, named precisely.
  • Leading people: direct reports, promotions, mentoring.
  • Cross-functional work: project teams with biology, CMC, clinical and regulatory colleagues.

Writing the summary

Degree, years in industry, specialty and therapeutic areas, then what you deliver: candidates, platforms, teams. Write for a hiring manager who knows the field and a recruiter who does not.

The summary in this example

Protein engineer with a Ph.D. in biochemistry and seven years in biotech, leading antibody discovery and optimization for oncology and immunology programs. I design campaigns that find developable molecules fast, build the platforms that make the next campaign faster, and lead scientists who grow.

Postdoc moving into industry

Postdoctoral researcher in structural biology with eight first-author or co-author papers and hands-on cryo-EM, crystallography and protein expression. I solved 6 structures of membrane transporters and am looking for a scientist role in structure-based drug discovery.

Research scientist in materials or chemistry

Research scientist with a Ph.D. in materials science and six years developing battery cathode materials, from lab-scale synthesis to 5 kg pilot batches. Inventor on 4 patents and lead of a team of 3 scientists.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Discovered the lead antibody for a program that entered phase 1 in 2026, from 2,000 initial binders.
  • Set up a high-throughput expression workflow that raised capacity from 50 to 500 antibodies a month.
  • Cut assay variability (CV) from 25% to 8% by redesigning a cell-based potency assay with the biology team.
  • Led a 6-person cross-functional team to deliver the in vitro package for a candidate nomination on schedule.
  • Negotiated and managed 2 CRO contracts worth $1.4 million for immunogenicity and toxicology studies.
  • Wrote the protein engineering sections of an IND submission.
  • Hired 3 research associates and built a training program for new lab staff.
  • Presented program updates to the executive team and scientific advisory board 4 times a year.
  • Named co-inventor on 5 patent applications in 4 years.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Your core platform (antibody discovery, protein engineering, small-molecule chemistry, cell therapy)
  • Key assays and instruments (SPR, BLI, flow cytometry, LC-MS)
  • Display and screening technologies
  • Expression and purification
  • Data analysis in Python or R
  • Experimental design and statistics
  • Electronic lab notebooks and data systems
  • Regulatory documents (IND sections, study reports)

Soft skills

  • Leading and developing scientists
  • Working across functions
  • Clear scientific presentations
  • Prioritizing under program deadlines

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • No certification is expected for research scientist roles; your degree, programs and publications decide.
  • Project management training (PMP or internal programs): useful if you are moving toward project or program leadership.
  • Required safety training (biosafety, radiation, animal work) is assumed and need not be listed.

Length and format

Two pages at most, not a full academic CV. Keep three to five selected publications or patents; link to your Google Scholar profile for the rest. The postdoc becomes one or two lines once you have several years in industry.

Common mistakes

  • Sending an academic CV to a company. Industry readers want results and programs first, not every poster.
  • Describing projects without outcomes: what was found, nominated, licensed or killed for good reason?
  • Burying leadership. Managing people is a big part of the jump from scientist to senior scientist.
  • Disclosing confidential targets or molecule names. Describe them by class and therapeutic area.
  • Jargon only your old lab would understand. A recruiter reads first.

Questions and answers

How do I turn an academic CV into an industry resume?

Lead with a summary of your techniques and problems you solve. Turn each project into bullets with outcomes. Keep only selected publications. Cut teaching unless the role includes training, and remove the full list of conference posters.

Should I list confidential programs?

Yes, but by description, not name: “a bispecific antibody for solid tumors, now in IND-enabling studies”. Hiring managers understand confidentiality.

Do I need a postdoc for an industry scientist role?

Not always. Many companies hire scientists straight from a PhD, especially with strong industry-relevant techniques. A postdoc helps for research-heavy roles and specialized areas.

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