In Vivo Technician (Night Shift)

Capable Labs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellness budget

Healthcare coverage

401(k) plan

Night meals provided

Job summary

Capable Labs in San Francisco seeks a dedicated vivarium scientist for night shifts to maintain the vivarium, run core mouse assays, and support in vivo studies.

You will dose mice by multiple routes, collect samples, and assist with surgeries and EEG data collection, ensuring animal welfare and data integrity.

Qualifications

• Experience working with laboratory animals in biotech, pharma, academia, or related setting.
• Hard-working and reliable in a fast-paced, mission-driven lab.
• Comfort with basic animal husbandry and recording dosing schedules.
• Willingness to work night shifts long-term and follow strict protocols.
• Attentive to routine vivarium duties and data organization.

Responsibilities

• Keep vivarium running and pass to next scientist.
• Assist with mouse studies to evaluate therapies, including overnight timepoints.
• Dose mice via IP/IV/SC/PO/intranasal per study guidelines, including overnight doses.
• Collect and process samples (blood, tissues) for day shift analysis.
• Support surgeries and in vivo procedures; assist EEG studies and overnight monitoring.

Skills

Animal care experience

Night shift readiness

Detail oriented

Team coordination

Job description

About the Role

We are a vibrant and intensely mission-driven team in San Francisco, comprising members from MIT, Harvard Medical School, Roche, ETH, and Dana-Farber. We value speed and rigor, coupled with excitement, drive, and a strong work ethic. In an early-stage environment, we value people who can bring clarity to open-ended problems, take ownership of the next steps, and follow through with energy.

Most biotechs take weeks to go from synthesis to animal data. At Capable, it happens in one day. We do not know of another lab on earth running this loop at this speed.

Capable Labs is a place for ambitious, high-integrity people who want to become dramatically better. You will be surrounded by people who care intensely about the work, get close feedback from the people making scientific and company-defining decisions, and have room to own increasingly important problems.

We believe excellent work should be met with meaningful reward, ownership, and trust. Responsibility is earned through contribution, not title alone: anyone who demonstrates the judgment, rigor, and follow-through to move important work forward can earn meaningful scope.

This is a place for people who want to get dramatically better, fast. You'll have direct access to the founding team, close feedback from the people making the scientific calls, and room to own increasingly important problems. Responsibility here follows contribution, not title. Nights just give you more room to contribute.

What You'll Do

• You keep the vivarium running, perform core mouse assays, and pass it off to the next scientist.
• Assist with running mouse studies to help evaluate potential new therapies for safety and effectiveness, including overnight timepoints and around-the-clock dosing schedules
• Help dose mice using different methods, such as IP, IV, SC, PO, and intranasal, following study guidelines, including scheduled overnight and early-morning doses
• Assist with collecting samples, including blood and tissues like liver, kidney, spleen, lung, brain, muscle, heart, tumor, and other relevant organs, and process or store them so material is stable for day shift analysis
• Support the team during surgeries and special in vivo procedures, with training provided as needed
• Assist with EEG studies in mice, including helping with procedures, overnight monitoring, and data collection.
• Perform overnight animal health checks and welfare monitoring, escalating concerns per protocol and after-hours contact procedures
• Help prepare and organize data related to dosing and animal health, supporting analysis by the scientific team

Who You Are

• You have experience working with laboratory animals, ideally in biotech, pharma, academia, or a related environment
• Something along the lines of working very hard
• You are comfortable performing basic animal husbandry, dosing mice using common routes (such as IP and IV), and maintaining accurate records for animal care and dosing schedules
• You genuinely function well on a night schedule and can commit to it long-term. This is not a role we'd ask someone to white-knuckle.
• You are attentive to routine vivarium duties, including cage cleaning, bedding changes, restocking supplies, and monitoring animal health and welfare
• You work efficiently and reliably, paying careful attention to detail, and ask for guidance as needed, and you're comfortable making documented judgment calls when the person you'd normally ask is asleep
• You coordinate cleanly with day shift team members and take handoff communication seriously

Pay & Benefits

• $90,000–$120,000 salary plus, plus equity options with an implied current value of approximately $50,000–$200,000 before exercise cost, taxes, dilution, and liquidity risk
• Compensation will depend on the skills, experience, and scope of impact you bring. If your background, experience, or compensation needs fall outside this range, we are still open to a conversation based on the scope and impact you could bring.
• $500+ monthly wellness budget for training, supplements, coaching, recovery, or other tools that help you perform at your best
• Healthcare: We offer a broad range of medical, dental, and vision coverage options, with Capable covering 100% of the base policy
• You will also have access to HSA, FSA, and 401K plans
• Healthy meals provided for the night shift, not just the dinner service
• We support visa sponsorship where appropriate, including O-1, H-1B, J-1, TN, and other employment-based pathways. Our team is already international, with members from Canada, Pakistan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, China, India, and the United States.