Research Associate, Analytical Development (Contract)

Orcabiosystems; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pre-IPO equity

Annual bonus

Medical, dental, vision benefits

PTO

401(k)

Life and disability insurance

Parental leave

On-site lunches

Job summary

Orca Bio seeks a Contract Research Associate to support the Analytical Development team in characterizing, qualifying, and validating analytical methods for cell therapy products. This hands-on, lab-based role focuses on developing and validating methods, documenting data, and collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to advance analytical method development and validation.

The role involves maintaining equipment and compliance, authoring SOPs and technical reports, and supporting project

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with analytical techniques for cell therapy development (flow cytometry, ELISA, qPCR).
• Familiarity with analytical method qualification and validation.
• Experience in a regulated lab environment (GLP/GMP) is a plus.
• Proficient data analysis using FlowJo, GraphPad Prism, and Excel.

Responsibilities

• Characterize, qualify, and validate analytical methods for cell therapy products.
• Execute lab-based studies to develop, qualify, and validate analytical methods.
• Document experimental data and author/review SOPs and reports.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support development timelines.
• Maintain lab equipment, reagents, and workspace with safety/compliance.

Skills

Flow cytometry

Mammalian cell culture

Aseptic technique

ELISA

qPCR/PCR

Cell viability assays

Cell counting assays

Cell-based functional assays

Fluorescence microscopy

Brightfield microscopy

Tools

FlowJo

GraphPad Prism

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Orca Bio is seeking a Contract Research Associate to support the Analytical Development team. This lab-based role will contribute to the characterization, qualification, and validation of analytical methods used to support the development of cell therapy products. The successful candidate will perform hands‑on laboratory studies, maintain accurate documentation, and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to advance analytical method development and validation.

Key Responsibilities

• Participate in a team focused on the characterization, qualification, and validation of analytical methods for cell therapy products.
• Execute laboratory-based studies to develop, optimize, qualify, and validate analytical methods for the analysis of cell therapy products.
• Generate, analyze, and accurately document experimental data in accordance with established procedures and quality standards.
• Author and review laboratory documentation, including standard operating procedures (SOPs), analytical methods, qualification and validation protocols, technical reports, and other laboratory processes.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to support analytical development activities and project timelines.
• Maintain laboratory equipment, reagents, and workspaces while adhering to laboratory safety and compliance requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands‑on experience with analytical techniques such as flow cytometry, mammalian cell culture and aseptic technique, ELISA and other immunoassays, qPCR/PCR, cell viability and cell counting assays, cell‑based functional assays (e.g., proliferation, activation, cytotoxicity), fluorescence or brightfield microscopy.
• Experience with data analysis software such as FlowJo, GraphPad Prism, and Microsoft Excel.
• Familiarity with analytical method qualification and validation.
• Experience working in a regulated laboratory environment (GLP, GMP, or similar) is a plus.

Benefits

The anticipated annual salary range for this job is based on prior experience in the role/industry, education, location, internal equity, and other job‑related factors as permitted by law. For remote‑based positions, this range may vary based on local market. Full‑time employment positions will also be eligible to receive pre‑IPO equity and annual bonus, in addition to competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits, PTO, 401(k) plan, life and accidental death and disability coverage, and parental leave benefits. Other perks include subsidized daily lunches and snacks at our on‑site locations.