Manglik and Arkin labs – Junior/Assistant/Associate/Full Specialist

University of California, San Francisco; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, San Francisco seeks Junior/Assistant/Associate/Full Specialist for Manglik and Arkin labs to join a collaborative drug discovery effort targeting oncogenic Gαq/11. The Specialist will contribute across protein biochemistry, structural biology, assay development, chemical biology, and cell biology, with emphasis on rigorous experimental work, documentation, and teamwork.

An exceptional candidate will take ownership, optimize workflows, and help interpret data and present

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or 4 years of research experience (Junior)
• Master’s degree or 3+ years research (Assistant)
• Master’s or 5–10 years experience (Associate)
• Terminal degree or 10+ years experience (Full Specialist)
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal communication skills (verbal and written)
• Ability to work independently and in a collaborative research team
• Ability to prioritize tasks, coordinate with others, and meet multiple deadlines
• Willingness and ability to learn new methods as research priorities evolve

Responsibilities

• Contribute to an integrated pipeline spanning protein biochemistry, structural biology, assay development, chemical biology, and cell biology
• Document results carefully and collaborate across labs
• Take increasing ownership of a project area and help optimize workflows

Skills

Organizational skills

Interpersonal communication

Independent work

Collaborative teamwork

Deadline management

Learning new methods

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Terminal degree (for senior)

Tools

Protein purification

Biophysical assays

Cryo-EM / Crystallography sample prep

Structure determination

Assay development

Chemical biology

Chemical synthesis

Proteomics

Mammalian cell culture

Job description

Position Description

Manglik and Arkin labs – Junior/Assistant/Associate/Full Specialist at UCSF. The labs of Aashish Manglik and Michelle Arkin are seeking specialists to join a collaborative, highly interactive research effort focused on drug discovery targeting oncogenic Gαq/11 (Gq) to enable new therapeutic strategies for multiple diseases with poor current treatment options (e.g. uveal melanoma). The Specialist will contribute to an integrated pipeline spanning protein biochemistry, structural biology, assay development, chemical biology, and cell/cancer biology, depending on the candidate’s strengths. The Specialist will be expected to contribute to core research efforts through rigorous experimental execution, careful documentation, and strong collaboration across labs. An exceptional candidate will take increasing ownership of a project area, help optimize workflows, and contribute to troubleshooting, data interpretation, and presentation.

Required Qualifications

• Junior Specialists must possess a baccalaureate degree or equivalent degree, or at least 4 years of research experience
• Assistant Specialists must possess a master’s degree, or a baccalaureate degree with 3 or more years of research experience
• Associate Specialists must possess a master’s degree or equivalent degree, or 5 to 10 years of experience in the relevant specialization
• Full Specialists must possess a terminal degree or equivalent degree, or 10 or more years of experience in the relevant specialization
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal communication skills (verbal and written)
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a collaborative research team
• Ability to prioritize tasks, coordinate with others, and meet multiple deadlines
• Willingness and ability to learn new methods as research priorities evolve

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior hands‑on experience in one or more of: protein purification, biophysical assays (NMR, SPR, BLI), cryo-EM/crystallography sample preparation, structure determination, biochemical assay development/screening, chemical biology, chemical synthesis, proteomics, mammalian cell culture, cancer signaling biology
• Strong quantitative instincts and comfort with data analysis (e.g., Python/MATLAB/R/GraphPad)
• Evidence of meticulous record‑keeping and reproducible execution
• Interest in translational science/drug discovery and working across disciplines

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law. UCSF is committed to welcoming and serving all people, honoring the dignity of every individual without preference or prejudice, in support of its public mission and in alignment with its PRIDE values and Principles of Community.