Research Associate, Cell Based Assays

JOB PURPOSE

Sana Biotechnology is looking to expand our team with creative and highly motivated individuals who believe in the potential of cells as engineered medicines, have the vision to do creative things, and the determination to execute that vision.

We are looking for a qualified research associate to help build the Analytical Development department at Sana Biotechnology. This person will join an innovative, multi-disciplinary team developing and implementing analytical methods and data analysis to support the advancement of Sana's pipeline. This position will work cross-functionally with scientists from Research, Process Development, and Quality Control to determine the appropriate methodologies to assess drug products, intermediates, and critical reagents. This is a unique opportunity to develop assays to characterize the functional attributes of gene and cell therapy products.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Perform routine testing to support cell therapy and gene therapy process development
• Support the development of robust analytical methods (including cell-based functional assays) for cell and gene therapy products, critical reagents and raw materials
• Promote functional assay best practices locally and across Sana
• Prepare test procedures, protocols and other technical documents
• Identify and troubleshoot unusual results or instrumentation issues
• Transfer methods to quality control and support their implementation and execution
• Characterize gene and cell therapy products for regulatory filings and to demonstrate comparability between lots
• Purchase and maintain analytical instrumentation and coordinate support with vendors
• Occasional travel between Sana locations

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Qualifications

• BS degree in immunology, cell, molecular biology, or other life science with 1+ years of industry experience in analytical development, quality control or process development roles, or relevant research in an academic setting
• Experience with eukaryotic cell culture and aseptic technique
• Experience with cell-based and molecular biology techniques including ELISAs, cell-based assays, multi-color flow-based applications and/or PCR-based applications
• Detailed record keeping and documentation of relevant experimental details
• Ability to design thoughtful experiments, critically evaluate data, and summarize results in a meaningful way
• Must be resourceful with respect to learning new skills, techniques, and therapeutic modalities
• Ability to work in a high paced team environment, meet deadlines, and prioritize work from multiple projects
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences
• Demonstrated strong critical thinking and organizational skills
• Detail oriented, self-motivated, independent, flexible, and able to prioritize and manage several projects concurrently in a fast-paced start-up environment
• Demonstrated ability to work in cross-functional teams as a strong team player as well as independently
• Demonstrated ability to exhibit curiosity both with scientific rigor and relationships
• Ability to engage in crucial conversations - providing and receiving feedback

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience with automation, qPCR, ddPCR, nucleic acid preparations
• Familiarity with various software packages used for data analysis including Jmp, GraphPad Prism
• Occasional travel between Sana locationsThe candidate should be a team player, highly organized with excellent communication skills, demonstrate curiosity and scientific rigor and excellent problem-solving skills
• Ability to work in a high paced team environment, meet deadlines, and prioritize work from multiple projects