Systems Specialist II

The Department of Structural Biology at Genentech is seeking a cryoEM/cryoET expert to join its cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) team as a System Specialist II and support its mission to enable drug discovery and fundamental research. Our department offers a highly interdisciplinary environment for drug discovery and biomedical research, with state-of-the-art resources and unparalleled opportunities for scientific collaboration. We integrate macromolecular crystallography, cryoEM, cryoET, and NMR spectroscopy to drive drug discovery and uncover fundamental biology.

About the role

We explore the structural and functional properties of therapeutic targets and their interactions with diverse ligands both in vitro and in situ to discover and explain biological phenomena relevant to our drug discovery efforts. Our group supports structure-based drug discovery and design pipelines from construct design to structure analysis. We collaborate with scientists throughout the company to advance both traditional small molecule and protein-based drug discovery, as well as to pursue basic research questions regarding protein structure and function.

Responsibilities

• Drive structure-based drug discovery by processing data to deliver high-resolution cryoEM maps for collaborative research teams.
• Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary project teams across Roche and Genentech to solve complex protein target structures and annotate/analyze in situ tomograms.
• Empower and train facility users across all workflow stages—from initial sample preparation to advanced data processing.
• Operate and maintain cutting-edge instrumentation, including Titan Krios and Glacios microscopes equipped with SelectrisX Falcon4i detectors.
• Pioneer continuous improvement by testing, adapting, and adopting emerging protocols, software tools, and technologies for cryoEM/cryoET.
• Thrive in a supportive, state-of-the-art research environment with centralized high-performance computing, dedicated cell culture spaces, and robust data storage.

Requirements

• Qualified by education: You hold a Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years, a Master’s degree with 3+ years, or a PhD with 0–2 years of relevant experience in biochemistry, biophysics, or structural biology.
• Hands-on experience with on-grid cell culture, FIB milling, tilt series data collection and related workflows for cryoET.
• Proficient in cryoEM image processing: You bring a track record of obtaining high-resolution 3D maps and/or tomograms from cryoEM single-particle and/or tilt series data.
• Adaptable and eager to grow: You are enthusiastic about expanding your skill set across grid preparation, automated data collection, and facility operations.
• Collaborative and organized: You thrive in team environments, bring strong communication skills, and maintain exceptional attention to detail.
• Passionate about impact: You are excited to apply structural biology techniques to enable groundbreaking drug discovery and improve patient lives.

Benefits

Relocation benefits are available for this position.

• Discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance.
• Comprehensive benefits package (details available at the provided link).

Pay

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of California is $91,900 - $170,700. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law.