Lead Discovery Research Associate II

Neomorph; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Neomorph seeks a Research Associate II, Lead Discovery, for a 6-month contract in San Diego. The role supports routine mammalian cell-based assays, SAR and screening campaigns, hit confirmation, and assay optimization in a fast-paced drug discovery environment.

The candidate will gain exposure to high-throughput screening, data quality, and troubleshooting, with a strong foundation in cell culture and assay readouts.

Qualifications

• BS or MS with 2+ years of lab experience in biology or related field.
• Strong mammalian cell culture and cell-based assay experience.
• Ability to manage multiple cell lines and experiments with attention to detail.
• Experience with luminescence/fluorescence readouts and screening metrics.
• Experience with data analysis in Excel/GraphPad Prism.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine cell-based assays to support SAR, primary screening, hit confirmation, selectivity, and project-specific Lead Discovery activities.
• Culture, maintain, expand, and bank mammalian cell lines while monitoring cell health, passage number, confluency, and readiness for screening.
• Execute cell-based screening assays using luminescence-based readouts such as Bright-Glo, HiBiT and CellTiter-Glo.
• Support assay setup, optimization, miniaturization, and qualification for 384- and 1536-well screening formats.
• Operate laboratory automation and screening instrumentation used for cell dispensing, compound transfer, reagent addition, plate handling, and detection.
• Generate and use assay-ready plates (ARPs) and coordinate with Compound Management to ensure compounds and plates are available for scheduled experiments.
• Perform routine data QC, review plate-level assay performance, identify issues, and troubleshoot as needed.
• Analyze and document experimental results using Excel, GraphPad Prism, CDD, and other data systems.
• Maintain accurate records in electronic lab notebooks and screening trackers.
• Work with cross-functional teams to support priorities and deliver reliable data on schedule.
• Contribute to SOP development, workflow standardization, and implementation of new automation.

Skills

Mammalian cell culture

Cell-based assays

Data analysis

Attention to detail

Team collaboration

Education

BS in Biology or related field

MS in related field

Tools

PreciseDrop II

Echo acoustic dispenser

PHERAstar plate reader

MultiFlo FX

Job description

Neomorph seeks a Research Associate II, Lead Discovery, for a 6-month contract in San Diego. The role supports routine mammalian cell-based assays, SAR and screening campaigns, hit confirmation, and assay optimization in a fast-paced drug discovery environment.

The candidate will gain exposure to high-throughput screening, data quality, and troubleshooting, with a strong foundation in cell culture and assay readouts.