Molecular Diagnostics Associate

Oncodea; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

PTO and paid holidays

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Oncodea seeks a passionate Molecular Diagnostic Associate to advance our AI-native, blood-based cancer detection platform. You will work with leadership on clinical sample operations, data capture, and bioinformatics workflows.

The role spans general R&D lab duties, data analysis, and protocol development in a fast-paced startup environment; strong attention to detail and teamwork are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, medical laboratory sciences, biophysics, molecular diagnostics, or a related discipline.
• 1+ years of combined experience across academic research labs, biotech industry, or biotech startups (internships and undergraduate research count).
• Strong analytical skills and scientific curiosity.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Exceptional laboratory notebook and documentation habits.
• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Strong time-management skills and the ability to juggle multiple parallel tasks.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel; working familiarity with Python and/or R for data handling.
• Exposure to bioinformatics or data-science workflows.
• Willingness to work in a fast-paced, dynamic, lean-startup environment.
• Comfort working in BSL-2 and/or clean-room environments following appropriate safety practices.
• Hands‑on familiarity with basic molecular biology techniques, including nucleic acid purification and RNA analysis.

Responsibilities

• Assist with molecular pattern analysis on a large set of human biospecimens using our nanophotonic detection platform.
• Catalog and maintain the clinical sample database; support sample accessioning, tracking, and chain-of-custody documentation.
• Process biospecimens (serum, plasma, and related) and ensure proper aliquoting, labeling, and long-term storage consistent with IRB and HIPAA requirements.
• Handle general lab operations: ordering, inventory, reagent qualification, equipment logs, and safety/waste management.
• Follow and help draft SOPs for molecular biology and analytical workflows; contribute to continuous process improvement.
• Maintain detailed, audit-ready laboratory notebooks and electronic records (GDP / ALCOA+).
• Run routine molecular pattern acquisition and QC; help refine and troubleshoot the analytical workflow.
• Support clinical study execution and CLIA-LDT lab setup, including sample kitting, shipment, and receipt verification with external sites.
• Assist with basic RNA and protein analysis as needed to support research projects.
• Perform introductory bioinformatics and data-science tasks: data inspection, QC dashboards, and reproducible analysis scripts.

Skills

Molecular biology

Biochemistry

Data analysis

Python

R

Lab documentation

Communication

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemistry or related discipline

Tools

Excel

Python

R

LIMS

Job description

Oncodea is seeking a passionate and driven Molecular Diagnostic Associate to join our team and help advance our mission of making early cancer detection accessible and affordable for everyone.
In this role you will work closely with our executive leadership and founders, who bring deep expertise in molecular diagnostics, molecular sensing, bioinformatics, and cancer research. You will be an integral part of the team advancing our proprietary blood-based cancer detection platform, clinical sample operations, and data capture and management.
We understand that not every candidate will have every skill listed below. We value willingness to learn and grow as Oncodea continues to expand. This position spans general R&D lab duties, innovative problem-solving, data accumulation, and data analysis and presentation.

What You Will Do

• Assist with molecular pattern analysis on a large set of human biospecimens using our nanophotonic detection platform.
• Catalog and maintain the clinical sample database; support sample accessioning, tracking, and chain-of-custody documentation.
• Process biospecimens (serum, plasma, and related) and ensure proper aliquoting, labeling, and long-term storage consistent with IRB and HIPAA requirements.
• Handle general lab operations: ordering, inventory, reagent qualification, equipment logs, and safety/waste management.
• Follow and help draft SOPs for molecular biology and analytical workflows; contribute to continuous process improvement.
• Maintain detailed, audit-ready laboratory notebooks and electronic records (GDP / ALCOA+).
• Run routine molecular pattern acquisition and QC; help refine and troubleshoot the analytical workflow.
• Support clinical study execution and CLIA-LDT lab setup, including sample kitting, shipment, and receipt verification with external sites.
• Assist with basic RNA and protein analysis as needed to support research projects.
• Perform introductory bioinformatics and data-science tasks: data inspection, QC dashboards, and reproducible analysis scripts.

What You Must Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, medical laboratory sciences, biophysics, molecular diagnostics, or a related discipline.
• One or more years of combined experience across academic research labs, biotech industry, or biotech startups (internships and undergraduate research count).
• Strong analytical skills and scientific curiosity.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Exceptional laboratory notebook and documentation habits.
• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Strong time-management skills and the ability to juggle multiple parallel tasks.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel; working familiarity with Python and/or R for data handling.
• Exposure to bioinformatics or data-science workflows.
• Willingness to work in a fast-paced, dynamic, lean-startup environment.
• Comfort working in BSL-2 and/or clean-room environments following appropriate safety practices.
• Hands‑on familiarity with basic molecular biology techniques, including nucleic acid purification and RNA analysis.

What You Might Have

• Familiarity with machine learning or large, high-dimensional datasets.
• Experience with molecular sample preparation and analysis, or other proteomic or transcriptomic platforms.
• Database management, schema design, or data‑visualization experience.
• Project‑management skills or prior use of tools such as Asana, Jira, Trello, or Notion.
• Prior exposure to CLIA, CAP, FDA, or ISO quality frameworks.
• Military service, non‑traditional career paths, or other diverse professional backgrounds. Oncodea values your unique experiences.

The Bottom Line

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience and credentials.
• PTO, paid holidays, and healthcare benefits.
• Meaningful opportunities for professional growth, mentorship, and scientific authorship.
• A chance to build your early career at the cutting edge of AI‑native molecular and nanophotonic diagnostics alongside a mission‑driven team.
  If you have a curious mind, attention to detail, and a drive to make a difference, we encourage you to apply. Join us in the fight against cancer and make early cancer detection a reality for all.