Senior Scientist - Vector Design and Cell Line Engineering

JOB PURPOSE

Sana Biotechnology is seeking a creative and highly-motivated individual to join our Gene Therapy Vector Design team. This Senior Scientist will be responsible for advancing our targeted viral vector platform by applying high-throughput pooled selection methods. The candidate will collaborate with other research program teams and technology sciences groups across the company to design and engineer pooled selection strategies to meet project needs. This work will require expertise in synthetic biology, molecular biology, gene editing, viral vector biology and high-throughput screening, as well as excellent collaboration skills.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supervise and participate in the design, construction and testing of pooled selection strategies
• Collaborate with research functional leaders and program leaders to ensure that the selection strategies are designed and constructed to meet specifications, and communicate robustly with them throughout development
• Planning, designing and executing complex experiments
• Building genetic libraries of variants, using high-throughput molecular cloning methods
• Working closely with other members of the gene therapy, computational biology and process development teams to share and apply knowledge advancements
• Reviewing and presenting data cross-functionally at department meetings and larger forums.
• Comply with standard laboratory practices and company policies, including strict notebook documentation and biosafety policies
• Contribute to the overall Sana mission and culture

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Qualifications

• PhD. in Cell Biology, Synthetic Biology, Biophysics, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering or related discipline with a minimum of 5 years of directly related experience in the academic research and/or biotech industry
• Publication record demonstrating proficiency in high-throughput pooled screening methods, including the generation of high-complexity combinatorial libraries
• Direct hands-on experience with gene and genome editing such as CRISPR-Cas9 or equivalent, lentiviral biology and/or gene therapy vector and payload design
• Skills in synthetic biology, genetic engineering or gene circuit design (knock-ins and knock-outs), cell biology, cloning and molecular biology
• Excellent bench skills with attention to detail and high standards for data integrity and quality.
• Must be detail oriented, self-motivated, flexible, and able to prioritize and manage several fast-paced projects concurrently
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences
• Demonstrated ability to work in cross-functional teams as a strong team player as well as independently
• Known for his/her/their delivery of projects within a timeframe

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with liquid handler automation platforms (e.g. Integra, Hamilton, Tecan)
• Experience working with barcoding systems and/or single cell analysis
• Facility with one or more programming languages, such as R or Python