Contract Role - Scientist, Immunology - San Diego, CA

About the role

We are seeking a motivated, versatile, detail-oriented Contractor to work with the Immunology Team on preclinical and IND-enabling in vitro studies. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment.

Responsibilities

• Conceptualize and perform cell-based functional assays (cell lines, primary cells, whole blood) to support target validation, antibody drug screening, mechanism of action studies, biomarker identification, and/or companion diagnostics development.
• Work on preclinical and IND-enabling in vitro studies.
• Analyze, critically interpret data, and share results with project teams as required.
• Keep meticulous records of experiments performed and maintain ELN entries.
• Collaborate with other scientists in a highly matrixed lab environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with 6+ years or Master’s degree with 4+ years of relevant biotech and/or pharmaceutical industry experience.
• Experience with molecular/cell biology techniques such as CRISPR, RT-PCR, cell transfection, and cell line generation.
• Experience using MSD, Luminex, and ELISA to measure analytes in serum, plasma, supernatant, or cell lysates.
• Experience with multi-color flow cytometry to immunophenotype human cells from blood and tissues.
• Experience with Western Blots for samples generated from cell pellets and tissue.
• Experience with protein quantification techniques from tissue samples.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with transcriptomics studies (e.g., RNAseq, nanostring).
• Experience developing ex-vivo models to assess immune responses from human whole blood, PBMCs, and various immune cell subsets.
• Experience with cell-based assays including primary cell and reporter cell assays.
• Experience with tissue explants and organoid systems.

Skills

• Independent, self-motivated scientist capable of generating scientific questions and designing experiments to address them.
• Excellent problem-solving and organizational skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including presenting data to all levels of the organization.
• Scientific rigor and curiosity to address scientific questions and design experiments to test working hypotheses.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, matrixed environment to meet project goals.
• Proficiency in data analysis using Excel, GraphPad Prism, and FlowJo.

Pay

The expected base pay range for this position is $105,000 – $115,000 plus bonus, equity, and comprehensive benefits. Individual pay will be determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package included.