Scientist, Gene Therapy Research

About the role

Sana Biotechnology is growing, and we are hiring new team members who believe in the potential of engineered cells as medicines, who want to challenge status quo, and who lead with the desire to work on novel ideas.  As a Scientist on the Gene Therapy Platform Biology team, you will report to the Director of Platform Biology and will work to advance the creative vision around our gene therapy platform with an emphasis on making gene therapies accessible to all patients who need them. You will lead collaborative investigations into the biology of what makes a potent and cell-specific gene therapy vector, as well as figure out what are the tricks to make our candidate vectors at scale so we can cure as many patients as possible. Cool stuff.

What you’ll do

• Perform hypothesis-driven investigations into mammalian cell biological mechanisms and viral biological mechanisms that determine production and potency of our gene therapy platform
• Lead novel assay development for characterizing novel vectors that support our platform (including flow cytometry and subcellular imaging)
• Experimental protein design and testing of novel constructs using high-throughput automation for mammalian cell transduction readouts
• Understand and apply relevant scientific literature to the design of experimental protocols
• Provide mentorship to others by leading in presentations and scientific discussion

What we’re looking for

• Recommended to have PhD in scientific discipline, or a Masters’ degree in a scientific specialty with a minimum of four years of experience and proven proficiency in independent research and in the design of laboratory experiments and techniques
• A creative thinker, with an eye towards novel assay development
• Well versed in a wide array of molecular cell biology techniques
• Experienced with collaborations across different teams
  
  

What will separate you from the crowd

• Expertise in structural virology is a plus
• Advanced experience in protein engineering is a plus, including ability to analyze sequence data in support of protein design
• Demonstrated ability in working with experienced teams in collaborative environment

What you should know

• Working safely in person on a predictable and regular in-person basis is an essential job function for this position, and the Company requires that all individuals working in-person be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including receipt of a vaccine booster shot if recommended by the CDC

How we work together

• Lead from every seat – we seek to understand, act with honesty, and engage in the crucial conversations
• Thrive as a team – we hire amazing people, are intensely curious, and cultivate inclusion and personal connectivity
• Make it happen – we value vigorous debate, alignment around our decisions, and resilient execution

Get to know us

At Sana, we believe that a diverse workforce strengthens us as a company and helps us to achieve our mission to meaningfully change the outcome of many human diseases. This belief is a pillar of our business and is critical to our success. Our goal is that Sana is the place for talented people to bring their authentic selves to work, to have a great career and to deeply, positively impact patients.

Core to our values, we believe there is nothing more important than the health and wellness of you and your family. For benefit eligible employees, we cover 100% of the cost for employee health coverage and offer generous time-off, parental leave, short- and long-term disability, employer paid basic life insurance,  additional voluntary life insurance protection, financial wellness programs including financial planning resources, a 401(k) Plan with an immediately vested employer match, Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, commuter subsidy and a variety of wellness offerings to support each person individually.

We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental or sensory disability (including the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability), genetic information, actual or perceived HIV or Hepatitis C infection, medical condition (cancer or a record or history of cancer and genetic characteristics), marital status, sexual orientation, sexual preference, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), disability, veteran status, political ideology, social class (including caste/caste identity), taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The job description listed above is representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions described above.