Research Associate I, Platform Reagents & Assay Support

BigHat Biosciences; San Mateo (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

DTO and 12 company holidays

Paid parental leave

Job summary

BigHat Biosciences in San Mateo, CA is seeking a Research Associate I to support Platform Reagents & Assay operations for the Milliner program. You will help scale in‑house reagent manufacturing and QC, working with automated equipment and cross‑functional teams.

The role requires a BS in Biology or Chemistry with 1+ year of industry experience, hands‑on experience with reagent workflows and automated liquid handlers, and strong documentation skills to maintain accurate records.

Qualifications

• BS in Biology or Chemistry with 1+ year of industry experience.
• Experience in reagent manufacturing and quality control.
• Hands-on experience with automated liquid handlers and/or LIMS.
• Experience with molecular biology techniques and lab practices.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced startup.
• Strong communication and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Execute automated and manual high-throughput reagent manufacturing and QC workflows to support data generation across BigHat’s production assay suite.
• Keep detailed records of all reagent lot manufacturing and QC events using BigHat’s documentation tools, and clearly communicate results and challenges.
• Contribute to reagent lot performance monitoring, and assist with troubleshooting efforts as needed.
• Collaborate on the creation of laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs) for reagent manufacturing and QC.
• Collaborate closely with BigHat team members to identify, design, and implement critical process and operational improvements to workflows and laboratory systems.
• Operate automated liquid handlers and analytical instruments to ensure all lab and platform operations run efficiently.

Skills

Automated liquid handlers

Troubleshooting

Documentation

Education

BS in Biology or Chemistry

Tools

LIMS

Automated liquid handlers

Job description

Description

Department: Lab Science
Location: San Mateo, CA

The role

BigHat Biosciences is seeking a self‑motivated individual for a Research Associate I, Platform Reagents & Assay Support (PRAS) role to power our in‑house reagent manufacturing and QC efforts supporting our Milliner platform.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute automated and manual high‑throughput reagent manufacturing and QC workflows to support data generation across BigHat’s production assay suite.
• Keep detailed records of all reagent lot manufacturing and QC events using BigHat’s documentation tools, and clearly communicate results and challenges.
• Contribute to reagent lot performance monitoring, and assist with troubleshooting efforts as needed.
• Collaborate on the creation of laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs) for reagent manufacturing and QC.
• Collaborate closely with BigHat team members to identify, design, and implement critical process and operational improvements to workflows and laboratory systems.
• Operate automated liquid handlers and analytical instruments to ensure all lab and platform operations run efficiently.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• BS in Biology or Chemistry, with 1+ year(s) of industry experience.
• Experience in reagent manufacturing and quality control, process execution, and troubleshooting.
• Hands‑on experience with, or interest in, automated liquid handlers (e.g. Hamilton, OpenTrons, Tecan, Agilent systems). Experience with LIMS is a nice‑to‑have.
• Experience with molecular biology techniques and general lab practices.
• Efficient time management and ability to work on several projects simultaneously, in a dynamic start‑up environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate with members of a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent record keeping abilities to document experimental work and analytical data.
• Nice‑to‑haves include previous experience working with barcoding systems and automated tube/plate labelers, inventory tracking, and experience with Google Workspace tools (Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.).

Total Rewards

The salary estimated for this position is $75,000 - $88,000 + bonus + options + benefits. Compensation will vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. Actual compensation will be confirmed in writing at the time of the offer.

What BigHat Offers

• Range of health insurance plan options through Anthem and Kaiser (monthly credit if benefit waived)
• Dental, and vision coverage through Guardian
• Additional well‑being benefits through Nayya, OneMedical, Wagmo, Rula, and more
• 401(k) with company match
• DTO, two weeks of company‑wide shutdown, and 12 company holidays
• Paid parental leave