Senior Research Associate

AbSci; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 122,000 - 139,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biotechnology company in Vancouver is seeking a Senior Research Associate to advance preclinical drug discovery through cell-based assays. The candidate will maintain primary cell cultures, execute disease-relevant assays, and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams. A BSc in a related field with at least 5 years of experience is required. The role offers competitive salary and benefits, including unlimited vacation and 401(k) matching. EEO commitment applies.

Benefits

Unlimited vacation

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Annual bonus potential

Qualifications

• 5+ years of industry experience in cell-based assays and primary cell culture work.
• Hands-on experience in primary cell culture, including immune cells and cancer cell lines.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present data effectively.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and culture primary cell types and run various assays.
• Contribute to design and execution of disease-relevant assays for MOA studies.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and contribute to the preparation of SOPs.

Skills

Cell-based assays

Primary cell culture

Data analysis

Collaboration

Communication

Education

BSc in Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Biotechnology

Tools

GraphPad Prism

SoftMax Pro

Flow cytometry

ELISA

Western blot

qPCR

Multiplexing technologies

Job description

About Absci

Absci is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing novel therapeutics using generative AI. Our Integrated Drug Creation™ platform combines cutting-edge AI models with a synthetic biology data engine, enabling the rapid design of innovative therapeutics that address challenging therapeutic targets.

Absci is a global company headquartered in Vancouver, WA, and maintains offices in New York City, Switzerland, and Serbia. Learn more at www.absci.com or follow us on LinkedIn @absci, X @Abscibio, and YouTube.

Senior Research Associate, Pharmacology & Bioassays

Location: Vancouver, WA (Onsite)

Position: Full-Time, Senior Research Associate (Sr. RA)

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Senior Research Associate (Sr. RA) to join our Pharmacology & Bioassays team. The successful candidate will play a key role in advancing preclinical drug discovery by executing cell-based assays and cell line engineering for various therapeutic programs.

This position involves hands-on benchwork and requires experience with primary cell culture, disease-relevant mechanistic assays, mechanisms of action (MoA) assays, and reporter cell-based assays. The role will focus on drug discovery, supporting mechanistic studies, and generating data to guide the progression of Absci’s biologics pipeline.

Key Responsibilities:

• Maintain and culture primary cell types, and run various in-vitro/ex-vivo assays contributing to the development of pharmacology work-packages.
• Contribute to design, development and hands-on execution of in-vitro and ex-vivo disease-relevant assays for MOA studies and therapeutic testing.
• Troubleshoot and refine assays, ensuring reproducibility and robustness in both medium- and high-throughput formats.
• Perform data analysis, interpret and present experimental data at various platforms.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including cellular screening to integrate data from cell-based assays and support drug discovery goals.
• Contribute to the preparation of SOPs, study protocols, and data presentations for regulatory and internal purposes.
• Ensure adherence to best practices in assay development, data management, and experimental execution.

Required Qualifications:

• BSc in Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Biotechnology, or related field with 5+ years of industry experience in cell-based assays and primary cell culture work, OR MSc with 3+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Hands-on experience in primary cell culture, including immune cells (PBMCs, T-cells, NK cells), cancer cell lines, and other disease-relevant models.
• Experience in mechanistic assays, such as MoA assays, ligand-binding assays, ADCC, CDC, ADCP, and cellular uptake assays.
• Experience in reporter cell-based assays, with the ability to develop and implement these assays.
• Experience with flow cytometry, ELISA, Western blot, qPCR, and multiplexing technologies.
• Proficiency in data analysis software such as GraphPad Prism, SoftMax Pro to interpret and visualize experimental results.
• Ability to troubleshoot assays, ensuring high-quality and reproducible data.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present data effectively to a variety of stakeholders and contribute to decision-making.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrated success working in a matrixed, highly collaborative team environment, contributing to both individual and team goals.

How We Thrive Together: Absci’s Core Values

• We Believe in the Impossible
• We are one team with one finish line
• We embrace our differences
• We deliver Results
• We do the right thing
• Innovate because lives depend on it.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $88,000 - 100,000/year. The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the base salary range for this job at the time of posting. Actual base salary pay will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law.

Absci offers highly competitive salaries and benefits, including medical, dental, vision insurance, unlimited vacation, parental leave, employee assistance program, voluntary life and disability insurance, annual bonus potential, and 401(k) with a generous company match.

Legal authorization to work in the United States is required. Absci is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should request the recruiter or hiring manager or contact [e-mail].