Research Associate

Pleno Inc.; California; On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health, dental and vision coverage

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Generous PTO

Parental leave

Free onsite meals

Fitness facilities

Team events

Job summary

Pleno is seeking a Research Associate to join its San Diego-based R&D team. You will build, optimize, and troubleshoot molecular assays on our Hypercoding technology, generate high-quality data, and collaborate with scientists, bioinformatics, and engineering partners.

Ideal candidates have hands-on molecular biology experience (DNA/RNA extraction, PCR/qPCR/ddPCR), exposure to assay development, and comfort handling large datasets. Onsite in San Diego, CA.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques such as DNA/RNA extraction, arrays, PCR, qPCR, and/or ddPCR.
• Exposure to assay development or optimization in academic, industry, or translational research.
• Comfort working with large datasets and drawing conclusions from experimental data.
• Familiarity with data analysis tools; JMP experience is a plus.
• Ability to follow established protocols while applying scientific judgment to resolve routine challenges.

Responsibilities

• Build, optimize, and troubleshoot molecular assays.
• Perform hands-on molecular biology techniques including DNA/RNA extraction, PCR-based methods (qPCR, ddPCR), and related workflows.
• Contribute to assay development, verification, and validation studies, following established plans and protocols.
• Collaborate with R&D, bioinformatics, and engineering teams to interpret results.
• Generate, analyze, and summarize experimental results including large datasets.
• Maintain accurate laboratory records and data summaries.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or related field

Master’s degree in a related field

Tools

JMP

Job description

We are seeking a Research Associate to join Pleno’s Research & Development team. In this role, you will contribute directly to the development and optimization of molecular assays built on Pleno’s Raptor® platform, leveraging our proprietary Hypercoding™ technology to enable highly multiplexed genomic analysis.

You will work hands‑on in the lab, generating high-quality experimental data and collaborating closely with scientists, bioinformatics, and engineering partners. This role is ideal for candidates who enjoy building and troubleshooting assays, working with complex datasets, and contributing to cutting‑edge research tools in a fast‑paced R&D environment.

In this role, you will:

• Build, optimize, and troubleshoot molecular assays
• Perform hands‑on molecular biology techniques including DNA/RNA extraction, PCR ‑based methods (qPCR, ddPCR), and related workflows
• Contribute to assay development, verification, and validation studies, following established experimental plans and protocols
• Apply prior experience with multiplexed genomic technologies (e.g., microarrays or multiplex PCR) to support assay design and data interpretation
• Generate, analyze, and summarize experimental results, including analysis of large and complex datasets
• Utilize data analysis and visualization tools; experience with JMP is a strong plus
• Maintain accurate, detailed laboratory records, experimental documentation, and data summaries
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with R&D scientists, bioinformatics, and engineering teams to interpret results and support project goals
• Contribute to continuous improvement of laboratory workflows, methods, and best practices

To be successful in this role, you have:

Scientific & Technical Skills

• Hands‑on experience with molecular biology techniques such as DNA/RNA extraction, arrays, PCR, qPCR, and/or ddPCR
• Exposure to assay development or optimization in an academic, industry, or translational research setting
• Comfort working with large datasets and drawing conclusions from experimental data
• Familiarity with data analysis tools; JMP experience is a plus
• Ability to follow established protocols while applying scientific judgment to resolve routine experimental challenges

Collaboration & Communication

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to clearly document experimental work and communicate results
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to work effectively in cross‑disciplinary teams

Education & Experience:

Research Associate

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or a related field
• 0–2 years of relevant academic, industry, or translational research experience
• Executes standard experiments with guidance and follows established protocols

Research Associate II

• Bachelor’s degree with 2–5 years of relevant experience, orMaster’s degree with 1–3 years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated ability to independently execute standard assays and contribute to assay or method development

Note: This position will require regular onsite participation at our office/lab in San Diego, CA – to apply you should be resident in the greater San Diego County area. We are not able to consider relocation at this time.

The compensation range presented spans Research Associate to RAII. The range for this position is $70,000 to $90,000.

Compensation decisions are dependent on several factors including, but not limited to, level of the position, skills, knowledge and experience, internal equity, and alignment with comparable market data.

About Pleno

Pleno is a multidisciplinary team of scientists and technologists focused on collaboration and asking questions. We strive to find the best, and most meaningful answers for biochemistry and engineering problems in our mission to build a novel multi-omic instrument platform that will revolutionize biological target detection for a wide array of meaningful applications.

We value our Pleno people and each person’s wellbeing is important to us, so in addition to offering industry competitive compensation, we also offer the following:

• Equity – everyone at Pleno has a stake in our success
• Generous company-sponsored contribution to health, dental and vision coverage
• Company contributions to life insurance, short term and long-term disability
• Flexible Paid Time Off – plus 11 paid holidays including a winter break company-wide close
• Parental Leave – we value our families and include generous parental leave and wage replacement
• Free catered onsite meals twice weekly
• Fitness and wellness facilities
• Regular opportunities to spend social time together like happy hours & team building events – we stop to celebrate our wins

We are hiring for positions onsite at our office/lab in San Diego, CA — all positions are full time employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, or on the basis of disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form.

• Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR)
• Microarray
• Multiplex PCR
• Assay Development
• Analytical Methods Development
• Verification and Validation (V&V)
• Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)
• Molecular Diagnostics
• Data Analysis
• Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR)