Lab Operations Associate: Hands-on Research Support

Slope; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Merge Labs is seeking a hands-on Sci Ops Associate in San Francisco to keep researchers unblocked by owning routine lab operations. You’ll handle cell biology tasks, stock preparation, and protein work, with heavy time in the lab and collaboration with researchers and operations teams.

Your role includes writing SOPs, improving methods, and contributing to an efficient lab infrastructure in a fast-paced, early-stage setting.

Qualifications

• Hands-on wet-lab experience with sterile technique, reagent preparation, and cell culture.
• Experience with protein expression and purification.
• Track record of repetitive, detail-critical work performed reliably and independently.
• Strong communication and collaborative approach across scientific and operations teams.
• Experience writing or following SOPs in a research or regulated lab environment.
• Comfort in an early-stage environment where priorities shift and structure is built.
• Genuine interest in enabling cutting-edge research.

Responsibilities

• Perform and own routine cell biology tasks: mycoplasma testing, cell line banking and expansion, cryovial inventory monitoring.
• Prepare lab stocks: dissolving, pH adjustment, filtering, and aliquoting media, buffers, and antibiotic stocks.
• Make purified proteins and glycerol stocks to support workflows.
• Pour agar plates with antibiotics and prepare competent cells with QC.
• Fabricate lab-specific consumables that cannot be purchased (e.g., gel casting).
• Coordinate contamination response.
• Support general cloning workflows to reduce prep burden on scientists.
• Assist with LabOps duties: bench resets, incubator maintenance, autoclave scheduling, shelf stocking.
• Write and maintain SOPs for recurring tasks.

Skills

Wet-lab experience

Sterile technique

Reagent preparation

Cell culture

Protein expression

Protein purification

Multi-well plate workflows

Independent work

Strong communication

Collaboration

Organization skills

SOP writing

Early-stage environment

Research enablement

Job description

Merge Labs is seeking a hands-on Sci Ops Associate in San Francisco to keep researchers unblocked by owning routine lab operations. You’ll handle cell biology tasks, stock preparation, and protein work, with heavy time in the lab and collaboration with researchers and operations teams.

Your role includes writing SOPs, improving methods, and contributing to an efficient lab infrastructure in a fast-paced, early-stage setting.