Scientist

Pilgrim; Redwood City (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Pilgrim, based in Redwood City, is seeking a Scientist to develop and validate biological workflows core to ARGUS platforms. You will move between bench work and system integration, designing experiments and troubleshooting failure modes to refine protocols.

This role spans genomics, microbiology, and molecular assay development, collaborating with engineers to deliver reliable systems. You will design experiments to improve sensitivity, specificity, recovery, reproducibility, and limit of

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) is a plus, but not required.
• Experience developing nucleic acid-based assays and sample-preparation workflows.
• Hands-on wet-lab experience with nucleic acid-based assays.
• Strong experimental judgment and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Own the development and optimization of nucleic acid-based assays and sample-preparation workflows.
• Build and refine methods for lysis, nucleic acid extraction, purification, concentration, amplification, and sequencing preparation.
• Design and validate primer and probe sets for sensitive detection.
• Run experiments to expose failure modes and improve sensitivity, specificity, recovery, reproducibility, and limit of detection.
• Translate manual bench protocols into automated workflows that run reliably on integrated hardware.
• Develop assays under appropriate design‑control and quality practices, producing the documentation and traceability required for regulatory submissions, customer review, and audits.

Skills

Biology

Biochemistry

Life science

Experimental design

Hands-on

Education

MS or PhD preferred

Tools

PCR

Job description

About Pilgrim:

Pilgrim develops and deploys advanced biotechnology for defense and national security. Our primary platform, ARGUS, is a fully autonomous system for detecting biological threats in near real time, from naturally occurring pathogens to engineered agents.

Pilgrim is not a research institute or academic lab - we move beyond theory, transforming breakthrough science into decisive capabilities. Located in Redwood City, our team pairs mechanical and electrical engineering with chemistry and biology to put critical technologies into the hands of the people who need them.

About the Role:

As a Scientist at Pilgrim, you will develop and validate the biological workflows at the core of our products. You will move between hands‑on bench work and system integration, designing experiments, troubleshooting failure modes, and refining protocols. Your work will span genomics, microbiology, and molecular assay development, and you will partner closely with engineers to translate scientific advances into integrated systems that perform reliably in the real world.

Responsibilities

• Own the development and optimization of nucleic acid-based assays and sample-preparation workflows.
• Build and refine methods for lysis, nucleic acid extraction, purification, concentration, amplification, and sequencing preparation, maximizing recovery of low-abundance targets from complex environmental samples.
• Design and validate primer and probe sets for sensitive, specific target detection.
• Design and run experiments that expose failure modes and improve sensitivity, specificity, recovery, reproducibility, and limit of detection.
• Stress-test assays against real-world variation, including sample matrix, temperature, reagent age, contamination, and carryover.
• Translate manual bench protocols into automated workflows that run reliably on integrated hardware.
• Develop assays under appropriate design‑control and quality practices, producing the documentation and traceability required for regulatory submissions, customer review, and audits.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of biology, biochemistry, or a related life science, with a demonstrated ability to design, develop, and troubleshoot experiments. An advanced degree (MS, PhD) is a plus, but not required.
• Hands‑on experience developing nucleic acid-based assays and sample-preparation workflows.
• Advanced command of standard wet‑lab equipment, instrumentation, and molecular biology techniques.
• Strong experimental judgment, attention to detail, and ability to interpret imperfect or conflicting data.