Scientist I

About the role

The Scientist II – Microbiology & Cell Culture will play a key role in cultivating, characterizing, and managing biological materials that enable Roche's research and development efforts within the Biospecimen Acquisition and Management (BAM) team. This position facilitates daily operations for Culture Collection and panel activities, providing high-quality biological solutions to drive innovation at Roche Diagnostic Solutions. The role is based on-site in Pleasanton, California.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute laboratory activities with a high degree of independence to support Culture Collection and panel production initiatives.
• Perform nucleic acid extraction (DNA/RNA/Plasmid), quantification, and standard recombinant cloning techniques.
• Grow bacterial cultures under sterile conditions to ensure successful transformation and plasmid propagation.
• Generate, characterize, and manage biological materials supporting assay development, clinical studies, and product development.
• Analyze experimental data, troubleshoot technical challenges, and recommend solutions to support project objectives.
• Lead small to moderate complexity projects by coordinating activities, managing timelines, and communicating progress with stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate electronic laboratory records within validated systems, including LIMS and electronic laboratory notebooks (eLN), ensuring compliance with quality and regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to scientific reports, technical documentation, presentations, and knowledge transfer activities across cross-functional teams.
• Support laboratory operations through equipment maintenance, inventory management, biosafety compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Perform all work in accordance with established safety, quality, and regulatory requirements, including OSHA, ISO, and QSR standards.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, or a related scientific discipline with 4+ years of relevant industry experience, or a Master's degree with 2+ years of relevant experience.
• Hands-on laboratory experience with microbiological techniques, mammalian cell culture, molecular biology, and aseptic laboratory practices.
• Experience working with diverse biological materials, including microorganisms, mammalian cell lines, and human-derived specimens in a BSL-2 laboratory environment (e.g., infectious human material such as HxV, pathogenic bacteria, or engineered material, and sample types like blood, serum, urine, stool).
• Familiarity with bacterial enumeration, MPN methods, MALDI-TOF identification, microbial taxonomy, and characterization techniques.
• Strong understanding of data integrity, Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), and validated laboratory systems such as LIMS and electronic laboratory notebooks (eLN).
• Ability to independently plan laboratory work, manage multiple priorities, and solve scientific and technical challenges.
• Proficiency in routine laboratory activities including plating, pipetting, labeling, stocking, and vialing biological materials.
• Collaborative mindset with experience partnering with diverse stakeholders to achieve shared scientific goals.
• Commitment to continuous learning, scientific excellence, and process improvements that enhance laboratory efficiency and quality.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with automated laboratory workflows or high-throughput systems.
• Experience supporting platform or assay development.
• Project management experience, including coordinating timelines and stakeholder communications.
• Client-facing or customer support experience.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working effectively within a global, matrixed organization.