Lab Technician, Molecular Biology

Adaptyv Bio; Vaud; Hybrid; CHF 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Adaptyv Bio in Lausanne is seeking a Lab Technician to run molecular biology and protein production workflows. You will clone, transform, express, and purify proteins, maintaining high-quality, reproducible output to support our protein engineering pipeline.

You will work with automation and liquid handling, turning manual protocols into reliable, high-throughput processes while documenting parameters for reproducibility and data integrity.

Qualifications

• Degree in molecular biology/biotechnology or related field.
• At least 1 year hands-on molecular biology lab experience.
• Proficiency in PCR, cloning, transformation, purification, and gels.
• Protein expression/purification experience is a plus.
• Experience with lab automation or liquid handling is a bonus.

Responsibilities

• Perform molecular cloning workflows: PCR, Golden Gate, Gibson assembly and screening.
• Run protein expression and purification in bacterial and/or mammalian systems; quality control.
• Execute QC of constructs and proteins (gel/electrophoresis, sequencing, SDS-PAGE).
• Conduct assays to characterize proteins and validate throughput improvements.
• Prepare reagents and SOP-compliant reaction mixes; track samples and inventory.
• Operate automated liquid handling and lab automation workflows.
• Document parameters and results for reproducibility and traceability.
• Assist in troubleshooting, optimizing, and scaling workflows.

Skills

PCR

Molecular cloning

Transformation

DNA purification

Gel/capillary electrophoresis

Protein expression

Protein purification

Biophysical/functional assays exposure

Lab automation / liquid handling

Documentation & data integrity

Education

BSc / MSc in molecular biology or biotechnology

Job description

Adaptyv is building an automated lab that lets AI agents run biology experiments.

We're entering the era of agentic science where AI models can now design novel proteins, propose hypotheses, and iterate on experimental results. But they can't run the experiments themselves - that's still a manual, months-long process. We're building the infrastructure that gives AI agents access to the physical world.

We are one of the fastest growing biotech companies, trusted by leading biopharmas, frontier AI labs, and the techbio companies pushing the field forward. This is a rare chance to help advance some of the most important work happening in biotech today.

Our automated lab is powered by a deep software + hardware stack: lab instruments worth millions of USD reverse-engineered into API-controllable hardware, dozens of devices orchestrated through complex workflows, full observability on everything that happens in the lab, processing pipelines for messy physical-world data, and AI systems that troubleshoot production results and accelerate assay development.

We’re growing rapidly and are hiring for talented people to scale and support the massive demand for AI-driven wet lab experimentation.

About the Role

We're looking for a skilled Lab Technician to join our Biology team. You'll run our molecular biology and protein production workflows — cloning, transformation, expression, and purification — keeping high-quality, reproducible output flowing to support our protein engineering pipeline. You'll work hands-on with automation and liquid handling, helping turn manual protocols into reliable, high-throughput processes.

What You'll Do

• Perform molecular cloning workflows: PCR, Golden Gate and Gibson assembly, transformation, and colony screening.

• Run protein expression across bacterial and/or mammalian systems, and carry out protein purification and quality control.

• Execute QC of constructs and proteins (gel/capillary electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing, SDS-PAGE, and related assays).

• Run biophysical and functional characterization assays — binding kinetics, thermostability, and related readouts — to assess expressed proteins, and help bring new assays online and optimize them for throughput.

• Prepare reagents, buffers, and reaction mixes according to established SOPs.

• Operate and support automated liquid handling and lab automation where workflows are automated.

• Track samples, inventory, and consumables to keep lab operations running uninterrupted.

• Document experimental parameters and results to ensure reproducibility, traceability, and data integrity.

• Contribute to troubleshooting, optimizing, and scaling molecular biology and protein production workflows.

What We're Looking For

• BSc / MSc in molecular biology, biotechnology, or a relevant field.

• At least 1 year of hands-on laboratory experience in molecular biology (academic or industry).

• Proficiency with core techniques: PCR, molecular cloning, transformation, DNA purification, and gel or capillary electrophoresis. Protein expression and purification experience is a strong plus.

• Exposure to protein characterization or binding assays (e.g. BLI, SPR, ELISA, thermostability, or similar) is a plus.

• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to follow and execute protocols with precision.

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-throughput environment.

• Experience with laboratory automation or liquid handling systems is a plus.

Details

• Location: Lausanne, Switzerland (on-site)

• Type: Full time

• Start date: ASAP

Application deadline

We are reviewing applicants on a rolling basis.