Postdoc Structural MS Scientist – Native & Crosslinking

The Buck Institute; Novato (CA); On-site; USD 76,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Parental leave

Vacation and sick leave

401(k) with 5% employer match

Visa sponsorship

Job summary

The Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Marin County, CA, is seeking a hands‑on mass spectrometry scientist or postdoctoral researcher to establish and operate a structural MS platform. You will own instrument operation, method development, data quality, and biological interpretation, collaborating with protein biochemists, structural biologists, and computational researchers.

Candidates should have expertise in native MS, crosslinking MS, HDX-MS, or intact‑protein/top‑down analysis, with a

Qualifications

• PhD in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology or related discipline.
• Substantial hands‑on operation of a high‑resolution MS platform and established method development.
• Experience linking sample prep, acquisition, data analysis and controls to robust conclusions.

Responsibilities

• Establish, optimize, and run structural‑MS workflows including native MS and crosslinking analyses.
• Develop native‑MS and crosslinking methods to characterize protein complexes and interactions.
• Prepare samples with buffer exchange, digestion, crosslinking, and enrichment; ensure sample integrity.
• Optimize ionization and fragmentation for heterogeneous proteins and assemblies; coordinate maintenance and training.
• Establish QC standards and reproducible workflows for high-throughput analysis between native and denaturing modes.
• Analyze spectra with controls and uncertainty assessment, distinguishing true interactions from artifacts.
• Maintain thorough experimental records and collaborate on experimental design and publications.

Skills

Native MS

Crosslinking MS

HDX‑MS

Intact‑protein/top‑down MS

Education

PhD in analytical chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology

Master’s degree with substantial independent instrument-operation experience

Tools

High‑resolution mass spectrometer

LC-MS workflows

Job description

The Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Marin County, CA, is seeking a hands‑on mass spectrometry scientist or postdoctoral researcher to establish and operate a structural MS platform. You will own instrument operation, method development, data quality, and biological interpretation, collaborating with protein biochemists, structural biologists, and computational researchers.

Candidates should have expertise in native MS, crosslinking MS, HDX-MS, or intact‑protein/top‑down analysis, with a