Automation-Driven Research Associate

Qureator; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Job summary

Qureator Inc. in San Diego is seeking a motivated Research Associate to join our engineering team and help build out our lab automation capabilities.

You will support the setup, operation, and maintenance of automation equipment and workcells while collaborating with biologists to run experiments. You will spend time on both the automation/engineering side and bench biology, gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge organ-on-a-chip platforms and workflow development.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in bioengineering, cell/molecular biology, or a related scientific or engineering discipline.
• 1–3 years of hands-on mammalian cell culture in a research setting, including aseptic technique and routine assay preparation.
• Basic programming or scripting familiarity (e.g., Python) and comfort using AI tools to streamline workflows.
• Genuine interest in automation and process improvement.
• Demonstrated comfort troubleshooting instruments or workflows independently.

Responsibilities

• Automation Support: Assist in the setup, operation, and routine maintenance of laboratory automation equipment and integrated workcells.
• Experiment Preparation & Execution: Prepare reagents, samples, and cell cultures for experiments, and carry out cell- and reagent-handling protocols with careful data collection.
• Workflow Development: Help prototype, test, and optimize automated laboratory workflows.
• Troubleshooting: Assist in identifying and resolving basic hardware, software, and workflow issues on automation instrumentation, escalating more complex problems as needed.
• Documentation: Keep clear records of experiments, equipment maintenance, and workflow procedures.

Skills

Python

Automation

Mammalian cell culture

Troubleshooting

Education

B.S./M.S. in bioengineering or cell biology

Tools

Liquid handling systems

Hamilton

Integra

Tecan

Job description

Qureator Inc. in San Diego is seeking a motivated Research Associate to join our engineering team and help build out our lab automation capabilities.

You will support the setup, operation, and maintenance of automation equipment and workcells while collaborating with biologists to run experiments. You will spend time on both the automation/engineering side and bench biology, gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge organ-on-a-chip platforms and workflow development.