Associate Scientist (Metabolic)
About the role
Our client, a machine-learning-driven drug discovery company, is growing its metabolic team. Platform insights are surfacing new gene targets in liver disease and obesity, and the team is building assays to evaluate them and move drug candidates forward. We're looking for a hands-on Associate Scientist III to join this small, collaborative team (growing to 7) and keep active projects moving at the bench. You'll take direction from the scientists on the team and execute across multiple projects, so this role suits someone who enjoys variety and breadth over a narrow specialty.
Join a small, efficient team at a mid-size biotech where your bench work directly advances drug discovery programs. You'll build a broad skill set, collaborate across departments, and see your work move active projects forward.
Responsibilities
- Execute assays and experiments in support of liver and adiposity/obesity programs
- Work in the lab about 80% of the time, with the remaining 20% on documentation
- Maintain accurate bench notes according to Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)
- Support assay development and identify assays applicable to new targets
- Collaborate cross-functionally with experts in other departments
Requirements
Essential:
- Master's degree with roughly 5–7 years of relevant experience
- Mammalian cell culture experience (not bacterial)
- Broad technical skills, including Western blots, ELISAs, HTRF, absorbance readouts, and qPCR
- Other basic molecular biology techniques
- Steady hands and strong bench technique
- Flexibility to be deployed on any project
- Self-starter mindset, ideally from a small to mid-size biotech or pharma environment
Preferred qualifications
- iPSC cell experience
- Confocal microscopy (Opera Phenix, Columbus)
- Cell staining or phenotyping techniques
- Antibody and biochemical assay experience
- Complex cell culture
- JESS Western experience
- Adipocyte cell/biology experience is highly preferred
Pay
$47–$57 per hour
Schedule
100% onsite, 5 days per week in San Francisco, CA
Benefits
12-month W2 contract with benefits