Research Associate, Process Development (I,II,III)

Cellares; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 27,552 - 68,880; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision plans

401(k) matching

Free EV charging

Onsite lunches

Job summary

Cellares is looking for a highly motivated Research Associate to join their Process Development team in South San Francisco. The role involves supporting experiments, documenting processes, and maintaining cell lines. Ideal candidates will have a BS/MS in related fields and skills in aseptic technique and technical writing.

The position offers a competitive salary range of $20-$50 per hour and benefits such as subsidized medical plans, 401(k) matching, and free onsite lunches.

Qualifications

• 0-4 years of experience in process development or cGMP manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience in aseptic technique and primary immune cell culture.
• Creative, self-motivated with a strong technical writing ability.

Responsibilities

• Support small-scale and scale-up experiments for cell therapy manufacturing.
• Maintain cell lines and process leukopak.
• Contribute to high-quality technical documentation.

Skills

Aseptic technique

Process development

Technical writing

Cell culture

Problem-solving

Education

BS/MS in Bioengineering or related field

Tools

Bioreactors

Semi-automated instruments

Job description

Position Summary

Cellares is seeking an innovative and highly motivated Research Associate to join the Process Development team. This individual will interface across many parts of the company and contribute significantly to the development of our advanced cell therapy manufacturing platform.

The primary focus of this position is to support the design and execution of experiments, as well as development of standard processes using the Cellares platform. The ideal candidate will be multidisciplinary and have hands‑on experience in process development. Candidates should also enjoy working in a fast‑paced, mission‑driven environment, and be prepared to tackle a broad selection of challenges as the company grows.

Responsibilities

• Under supervision of scientists, the candidate is expected to provide hands‑on support to small‑scale and scale‑up experiments and overall development of the Cellares advanced cell therapy manufacturing platform.
• Support cell line maintenance and leukopak processing, including isolation, activation, gene modification, expansion and cryopreservation.
• Contribute to high‑quality technical documents, procedures, reports.
• Contribute to analysis and presentation of technical results at departmental meetings.
• Support technology characterization experiments informing internal equipment and consumables performance evaluation.
• Perform routine laboratory activities including ordering and equipment qualification/maintenance.

Requirements

• BS/MS or equivalent in Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, or related field.
• 0‑4 years of process development or cGMP manufacturing experience in the cell therapy or bioprocessing field.
• Hands‑on experience in aseptic technique; experience in primary immune cell culture or bioreactors preferred.
• Hands‑on experience with semi‑automated instruments for cell therapy manufacturing.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and attention to detail.
• Strong technical writing skills and experience authoring SOPs and reports.
• Creative, self‑motivated, eager to take on a wide variety of tasks and grow with evolving technology.
• Self‑awareness, integrity, authenticity, and a growth mindset.

Compensation & Benefits

$20 - $50 an hour. Cellares total compensation package contains competitive base salaries, highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) matching, free EV charging, and onsite lunches. All displayed pay ranges are approximate, negotiable, and location dependent.