Research Associate - Automation & High Throughput Screening

Merge Labs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Merge Labs is seeking a Research Associate to join the HTS team. You will develop and optimize plate-based assays, automate workflows, and train users to transfer methods for routine execution.

The role favors meticulous bench work, experience with automation, and a passion for building new processes rather than refining mature ones.

Qualifications

• BS/BA/MS in Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Bioengineering, or a related field.
• Strong hands-on experience in assay development and high-throughput screening.
• Experience with laboratory automation and troubleshooting experimental workflows.
• Strong documentation and communication skills; collaborative mindset across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize plate-based assays across molecular/cell biology with focus on reproducibility and scalability.
• Translate validated assays into automated workflows; establish SOPs and train users.
• Identify sources of variability and work with scientists to improve assay performance.
• Prepare samples, reagents and cells; execute experiments with accuracy and consistency.
• Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory instruments.
• Collect, organize and QC experimental data; maintain records and inventory.
• Help maintain a safe, organized, and efficient laboratory.

Education

BS, BA, or MS in Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Bioengineering, or a related field

Tools

Hamilton

Tecan

Opentrons

Job description

Merge Labs is a frontier research lab with the mission of bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability, agency and experience. We’re pursuing this goal by developing fundamentally new approaches to brain-computer interfaces that interact with the brain at high bandwidth, integrate with advanced AI, and are ultimately safe and accessible for anyone to use.

About the Team

The HTS team builds the shared infrastructure that multiplies the scale and precision of every Merge experiment. We are building this capability from the ground up: selecting instruments, translating manual assays into standardized automated workflows, and transferring those workflows to the teams that run them every day. It’s an early, hands-on team, and the work spans bench science, instrument integration, and process design.

About the Role

We are seeking a Research Associate to join our HTS team and take shared ownership of our automated workflows: developing and executing assays at the bench, operating and improving methods on our liquid-handling platform, training users, troubleshooting equipment, and removing the next bottleneck. This is a good fit for someone who is meticulous at the bench, familiar with automation, and energized by building something new rather than inheriting a mature process.

In this role, you will:

• Develop and optimize plate-based assays across molecular biology and cell biology, with a focus on reproducibility and scalability.
• Translate validated assays into automated workflows, and partner with program teams to establish SOPs, train users, and transfer methods for routine execution.
• Identify sources of experimental variability and work with scientists to improve assay performance and robustness.
• Prepare samples, reagents, and cell cultures, and execute experiments with accuracy and consistency.
• Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory instruments.
• Collect, organize, and perform initial quality control on experimental data, and maintain detailed records, sample metadata, and inventory in digital laboratory systems.
• Help maintain a safe, organized, and efficient laboratory environment.

You might thrive in this role if you have:

• A BS, BA, or MS in Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Bioengineering, or a related field.
• Strong hands-on experience in assay development and high-throughput screening, including designing, optimizing, and validating plate-based assays and executing them at scale.
• Depth in one or more of the following areas:
• Experience with laboratory automation and a systematic approach to troubleshooting and improving experimental workflows.
• Strong written documentation and communication skills, and a collaborative mindset for working across scientific and engineering disciplines.

Nice to have:

• Experience culturing and handling primary or iPSC-derived neurons, including plate-based assays of neuronal viability or function.
• Hands-on experience with Hamilton, Tecan, Opentrons or other liquid handlers.
• Familiarity with Python, R, or another scripting or data-analysis language.
• Experience with LIMS, ELNs, sample-tracking systems, or automated data pipelines.

If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet every qualification, please apply. As we build, we’re hiring for complementary strengths to form a high-impact team.

For more information about hiring at Merge, please visit our Hiring FAQ

Merge Labs does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, family status, ancestry, citizenship, U.S. military (state and federal) and veteran status, or any other legally protected status. It is our intention that all applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job related factors. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made by emailing [e-mail].