Lead Scientist, Spatial Biology & AI-Driven Oncology

Noetik Inc.

South San Francisco (CA)

Hybrid

USD 150,000 - 230,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Health insurance (family coverage)

401(k) with employer match

Wellness and training stipends

Job summary

Noetik Inc. in South San Francisco is seeking a Senior Scientist to advance spatial biology and AI model development. You will execute and optimize spatial assays on human tissues, mentor junior staff, and collaborate across Histology, Scientific Operations, and Engineering/ML teams.

The role emphasizes hands-on experimental work, data QC, and leadership to drive high-throughput projects in a hybrid, collaborative lab environment. Location supports hybrid arrangements with onsite collaboration.

Qualifications

PhD in a relevant field.
2–5+ years hands-on experience with spatial transcriptomics.
Experience with spatial proteomics platforms and immunofluorescence design.
Ability to troubleshoot wet-lab and imaging-based assays independently.
Strong data QC knowledge and ability to enforce standards.

Responsibilities

Plan, perform, and troubleshoot spatial biology experiments on human tissue samples.
Collaborate with Histology and Scientific Operations for project execution.
Participate in lab meetings to foster collaboration and innovation.
Lead cross-functional projects with Engineering and ML teams for AI model training.

Skills

In situ hybridization

Spatial data analysis

Proteomics

Troubleshooting

Mentoring junior staff

Lab leadership

Communication

Education

PhD in molecular biology, genomics, cell biology, biomedical engineering or related field

Tools

CosMx

Xenium

MERFISH

CosMx Protein

Akoya PhenoCycler

Lunaphore

Python/R

Job description

NOETIK is a frontier therapeutics company harnessing AI to deeply understand human biology and redefine clinical outcomes in oncology. Leveraging the largest proprietary multimodal oncology dataset of its kind, uniquely integrating deep spatial profiling with routine clinical assays, NOETIK’s foundation AI models precisely match therapeutic targets to patient subpopulations and accurately predict clinical efficacy. This AI-first approach elevates therapeutic development from probabilistic guesswork to precision science.

In this role, we are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Senior Scientist to join our team at the frontier of spatial biology and AI, driving hands on execution, protocol development, and quality standards for spatial biology experiments on human tissue samples in a lab built to fuel next-generation AI models. The ideal candidate will have deep hands-on experience within situ hybridization & proteomics techniques, spatial data analysisand demonstrate strong troubleshooting, mentorship, and organizational skills. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a multidisciplinary laboratory environment at the interface between Spatial Biology and AI model generation.

Aswescaleupourdatagenerationengine,thisroleisfocusedondrivingimpactthroughday-to-dayexecution,troubleshooting,andqualityenforcementacrossahighvolumeofruns.

KEYROLEANDRESPONSIBILITIES

Independentlyplan,performandtroubleshootspatialbiologyexperimentsonhumantissuesamples.
Collaboratecloselywithcross-functionalteamsincludingHistology,andScientificOperationstoensureseamlessprojectexecution.
Activelyparticipateinlabteammeetings,fosteringacollaborativeandinnovation-drivenculture.
Leadcross-functionalprojectswithEngineeringandMLTeammemberstodesignthenextgenerationofdataforAImodeltraining.

REQUIREDEDUCATION&EXPERIENCE

PhDinmolecularbiology,genomics,cellbiology,biomedicalengineering,orarelatedfield.
2-5+yearsofindustryhands-onexperiencewithspatialtranscriptomics(CosMx,Xenium,MERFISH…);directCosMxexperiencestronglypreferred.
Experiencewithspatialproteomicsplatforms(e.g.,CosMxProtein,AkoyaPhenoCycler,Lunaphore..)andimmunofluorescencepaneldesignarehighlydesirable.
Provenabilitytoindependentlytroubleshootwet-labandimaging-basedassayfailures,tracingissuesbacktorootcause.
Solid knowledge of spatial transcriptomics data QC metrics: transcript count distributions, segmentation quality, dropout/housekeeping-gene diagnostics, batch effects, and spatial artifacts.
Comfortableenforcingstandardsacrossateamthatincludesbothjuniorandmoreseniorcolleagues—thisrolerequiresleadershipaswellastechnicalskill.
Excellentorganizational,communication(oralandwritten),anddocumentationskills.

Nicetohave:

Familiaritywithcancertissuebiologyandidentitymarkerpanels.
ProficiencywithPythonorRfordataanalysis.
Priorexperiencementoringorinformallyleadingjuniorlabstaff.

Great science is a team sport. We are focused on creating a culture where brilliant people from different backgrounds can solve hard problems together. At Noetik, culture isn't just about perks; it’s about building a vibrant, collaborative community where everyone has the tools and the autonomy to thrive.

How We Work

Location & Collaboration: our primary lab and office space is located in South San Francisco. We operate as a hybrid organization, utilizing Slack, Zoom, and a modern tech stack to stay seamlessly connected regardless of time zone.

Intentional Connection: we believe that high-impact work requires intentional time together. We keep the team aligned through monthly All-Hands meetings and Quarterly Co-working Weeks at our South San Francisco office. Once a year, we gather for an Annual Reset - a week-long offsite dedicated to high-level strategy, collaboration and team bonding. Past locations have included Austin, TX, Park City, UT, and Boulder, CO.

Onsite Community: For team members working onsite, we foster a collaborative environment and refuel with daily catered lunches from great local restaurants and Boba Thursday - a small but meaningful tradition where we step away from our desks to connect over a break.

How We Support You

Health & Wellbeing: we provide generous health, dental, and vision insurance, with premiums fully covered for both employees and their dependents (depending on your plan choice). Our coverage is designed to be comprehensive and accessible, featuring modern care platforms like OneMedical, Midi Health, Spring Health, and XP Health. To further support your needs, we offer HSA and FSA accounts, dependent care savings, an EAP, resources for mental health (Rula), and health care navigation and advocacy (Rightway).

Time Off & Synchronized Breaks: we offer Flexible PTO to manage your personal time, alongside nine paid holidays. We also offer synchronized breaks so that the team can fully unplug simultaneously - two full-week company breaks (the first week of July and the last week of December), plus the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Compensation & Financial Benefits: our financial package includes a competitive base salary, stock options, and a 401(k) plan with an employer match. We provide a safety net through fully-covered disability, life and AD&D insurance, as well as generous parental leave. We also offer a suite of financial and lifestyle tools, including SoFi, Multiply Mortgage, and optional programs for pet insurance, legal services, and identity theft protection.

We believe that the highest performing teams include people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences who respectfully challenge each other. We are committed to an open, diverse and inclusive culture for all employees. Noetik is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status and any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.

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