Associate Scientist - Biology

LanceSoft Inc; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the biopharmaceutical field is seeking an Associate Scientist for their Biologics Pilot Lab in Foster City. This role involves supporting purification and pilot operations, requiring expertise in cell culture and purification techniques, and offers collaboration within a team of scientists. The position demands a proactive, detail-oriented approach to scientific investigation and problem-solving.

Qualifications

• At least 1 year experience in cell culture and/or purification techniques.
• Self-motivated and organized with strong interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of cGMPs and bioprocess scaling is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute tasks supporting cell culture and purification operations.
• Monitor and evaluate process performance data and report findings.
• Maintain the lab and participate in group meetings.

Skills

Cell Culture

Protein Purification

Technical Writing

Collaboration

Education

AA/AS degree with 2+ years experience or BS/BE degree in relevant field

Tools

AKTA

Single Use Bioreactors

Job description

Title: Associate Scientist – USP/DSP, Biologics Pilot Lab
Location: Foster City, CA
Contract Duration: 12 Months
Working Hours: Mon-Fri typical business hours (8am-5pm). Occasional weekend work will be necessary.
Pay Range: $30.00 - $40.00 USD hourly on W2

Job Description:
Role: seeking motivated, team-oriented individuals with expertise and experience in cell culture and/or protein purification process development and/or scale-up to support our pre-pivotal purification & pilot operations group. This is an opportunity to work in teams for the early- and late-stage development of biological molecules.

Specific Responsibilities:
• Plan and execute assigned tasks that support upstream cell culture and downstream purification operations.
• Monitor and evaluate process performance data, report and present findings, and proactively seek out senior personnel to discuss potential solutions to problem.
• Work with group members to maintain the lab, including analytical equipment maintenance, inventory and stocking support, and general lab upkeep activities.
• Participate in group meetings and present results, data interpretation and conclusions.
• Demonstrate strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to explain processes used to achieve results of assigned tasks.
• Work with team oriented, collaborative and problem-solving mindset.
• Always work with safety in mind.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills:
Familiar with cell culture operations, including shake flask and aseptic work in biosafety cabinets, Wave bioreactors, and large scale Single Use Bioreactors
• Hands on experience with reactor sampling and daily monitoring of processes is preferred.
• Familiar with downstream purification process, which includes centrifugation, chromatography, and dead-end as well as tangential filtration.
• Hands-on experience of AKTA, Tangential flow filtration and depth filtration is preferred. AKTA and UNICORN programming: a huge plus, not a must as it is trainable (yet needs experience with other Chromatography operations (e.g. how it works, how to pack resins in columns of various sizes)
• Knowledge of current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), technology transfer, and scaling up bioprocesses is a plus.
• Must be able to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
• Must demonstrate excellent technical writing skills: strong verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Must be self-motivated, organized, and enjoy scientific investigation and thinking.
• Clinical commercial manufacturing or pilot time activities + manufacturing.

Production/Material generation experience in either a Biologics Pilot Lab or a GMP Clinical Facility is the best match (process engineering not the right fit here). This biologics pilot lab in Foster City is not a GMP lab.

Education Requirement:
• AA/AS degree: must have 2+ year relevant industry experience (cell culture and/or purification techniques) or
• BS/BE degree in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biology, or a related scientific discipline: at least 1 years of experience required (in cell culture and/or purification techniques).

Miscellaneous Info:
Team: currently 5 scientists responsible for generating materials to support biologics programs at the pilot scale; conducting troubleshooting and process improvement; assessing and implementing new technology to enable improvement of site-wise operational capability, capacity, and efficiency.

Interview Process (via Zoom): initial screen, then more detailed 1:1 with manager plus 1-2 colleagues.