Associate Scientist/Scientist I Protein Sciences (Cell Culture, Expression & Purification)

Soleil Labs, LLC; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 91,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

HSA

FSA

401k plan

PTO

Job summary

TCG Labs-Soleil is seeking an Associate Scientist to lead mammalian protein production and purification across HEK293/CHO platforms. The role involves designing experiments, driving high-throughput workflows, and delivering material across monoclonal IgG, Fc-fusion, and multispecific formats.

The ideal candidate has hands-on cell culture expertise, data interpretation skills, and a collaborative mindset to work with expression, purification, and biology teams in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture and sterile/aseptic technique across multiple cell lines.
• Familiarity with transient expression in HEK293 and CHO suspension systems.
• Experience producing/purifying multiple biologic formats (IgGs, Fc-fusions); multispecific formats a plus.
• Experience with high-throughput protein production and workflows is desirable.
• Knowledge of product-quality analytics and titer methods (Octet/BLI).
• Proficiency in molecular biology methods supporting expression (PCR, cloning, plasmid prep).

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, interpret, and troubleshoot cell culture, expression, and purification experiments.
• Develop and optimize production strategies across platforms and scales.
• Drive transient expression from 96-well to 1–5 L production for diverse biologics.
• Maintain and expand mammalian cell lines including HEK293 and CHO variants.
• Support construct design, gene synthesis coordination, and plasmid preparation.
• Execute high-throughput purification using automated systems.
• Integrate expression with analytics (titer, purity) and communicate results to teams.
• Author protocols and SOPs; present data to leadership; contribute to program strategy.

Skills

Mammalian cell culture

Transient expression

Purification workflows

Data interpretation

Experimental design

Cross-functional communication

Laboratory documentation

Organization

Aseptic technique

Data handling (Benchling)

Education

Bachelor of Science

Master of Science

PhD (0–2 yrs research)

Tools

Kingfisher system

Automated purification

Tecan liquid handler

Hamilton robotics

Beckman instruments

Octet/BLI

SEC-HPLC

Job description

Associate Scientist - Scientist I

Protein Sciences (Cell Culture, Expression & Purification)

Department: Technology/Protein Sciences

Work Location: Corporate Headquarters (South San Francisco)

Position Summary:

Join our innovative Protein Science team at TCG Labs-Soleil as a protein production expert! We are seeking a highly skilled, organized and motivated scientist to drive recombinant protein and antibody production across our expression and purification platforms. In this hands-on, pivotal role, you will independently design, execute, and optimize workflows spanning transient expression in HEK293 and CHO systems and high-throughput purification - delivering material across a broad range of molecule formats, from standard IgGs to complex multispecifics. You will work closely with colleagues across our expression, purification, and biology teams to interpret and communicate data, drive process improvement, advance our automation, and support our growing pipeline of protein and antibody-based therapeutics.

The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, enjoys solving technical challenges, and brings strong hands-on expertise in mammalian cell culture and transient expression.

This role is open at the Associate Scientist through Scientist I level. Title, scope, and independence will be calibrated to your experience

Responsibilities:

• Contribute and execute organization, traceability, and data integrity of high-throughput protein production workflows, including sample lineage, plate maps, inventory, experimental metadata, and results maintained in the ELN and internal databases.
• Independently design, execute, interpret, and troubleshoot cell culture, expression, and purification experiments; develop and optimize production strategies across platforms and scales.
• Drive transient expression platforms (HEK293 and CHO) from high-throughput (96-well) through medium-scale (1-5L) production to produce and purify a broad range of biologic formats including monoclonal IgGs, Fc-fusion proteins, and multispecific antibodies.
• Maintain and expand multiple mammalian cell lines and hosts (e.g., HEK293 variants, CHO lineages), suspension and adherent as needed, under rigorous aseptic technique.
• Support molecular biology efforts for protein expression, including construct design, gene synthesis coordination, cloning, plasmid preparation, and sequence verification.
• Execute high-throughput purification: semi-automated Kingfisher and automated, plate-based, and liquid-handler-driven purification.
• Integrate expression and purification with analytic techniques such as titer by Octet/BLI; purity and quality by SEC-HPLC, CE-SDS, SDS-PAGE).
• Author technical reports, protocols, and SOPs; present results and recommendations to cross-functional teams and leadership; contribute to program and platform strategy.

Qualifications:

• B.S. with 10 years, M.S. with 6 years, or Ph.D. with 0–2 years of relevant experience in Cell/Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or a related field.
• Strong hands-on expertise in mammalian cell culture and sterile/aseptic technique across multiple cell lines or hosts.
• Demonstrated experience with transient expression in HEK293 and CHO suspension systems.
• Experience producing and/or purifying multiple biologic molecule formats (e.g., IgGs, Fc-fusions); experience with multispecifics or other complex formats is advantageous.
• Experience with high-throughput protein production and workflows is desirable.
• Familiar with product-quality and titer analytics such as Octet/BLI and orthogonal methods.
• Working proficiency in molecular biology methods supporting expression (plasmid prep, PCR, cloning, DNA QC, Geneious).
• Informatics and data handling — Benchling ELN and plasmid/inventory management.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design experiments, interpret and present data, and drive projects to completion.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Strong team player with excellent organization, attention to detail, documentation practices, and cross-functional communication.

Experience with the following is a plus

• General understanding of stable cell line development — pool and clone generation, single-cell cloning, selection, screening, and cell banking is a plus.
• Bioreactor experience — benchtop bioreactors and/or high-throughput micro-bioreactors (e.g., Ambr 15/250), fed-batch and/or perfusion, with process-parameter control and scale-up/scale-down modeling.
• High-throughput / automated purification — robotic Protein A, RoboColumns, plate-based clarification and purification — and liquid-handling platforms (Tecan, Hamilton, Beckman).

Company Overview

TCG Labs-Soleil, established in partnership with The Column Group, a science-focused venture capital firm, is pioneering a novel ‘venture capital-biotech’ model. Our core mission is to efficiently translate scientific insights into therapeutic solutions for patients facing serious diseases. This model supports scientific entrepreneurs from the initial idea to clinical proof of concept (PoC) by combining a dedicated fund (TCG Labs) with our independent, evergreen R&D center led by a top-tier scientific team (Soleil). Together, we create an integrated ecosystem that fosters the development of single-asset portfolio companies, strategically poised for transacting after clinical PoC.

For more details, visit TCGLSoleil.com and follow us on LinkedIn

EEO Statement

TCG Labs-Soleil is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate against qualified applicants based upon any protected group status, including but not limited to race, religion, color, creed, sex (including breastfeeding and related conditions), gender identity/gender expression, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disability or medical condition as defined by applicable equal opportunity laws. Any request for accommodation can be directed to [e-mail].

Benefits and Compensation

TCG Labs-Soleil provides a competitive benefits package that includes access to Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance, Life Insurance, Short and Long Term Disability, Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), 401k plan and PTO.

The anticipated salary range for fully qualified candidates applying for this role will be $91,000 - $140,000 annually (not including discretionary bonus, equity, and benefits). The final salary offered will be dependent on several factors that include but are not limited to relevant previous experience including duration and type of experience within the industry, education, and internal equity, as well as alignment with market data, including potential adjustments for geographic location.

Staffing Agencies

TCG Labs-Soleil does not accept unsolicited agency resumes and will not pay fees to any third-party agency or firm that doesn’t have a signed agreement with TCG Labs-Soleil. Please do not send agency CVs/resumes through TCG Labs-Soleil website or TCG Labs-Soleil Employees. Inquiries must be sent to [e-mail] with the Subject Heading: Staffing Agency Request.