Scientist - In Vivo Operations

Merge Labs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 99,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Merge Labs is seeking an experienced In Vivo Scientist to lead and scale high‑throughput rodent brain studies, focusing on stereotaxic surgeries and delivery methods. You will help translate novel tools into robust in vivo pipelines, generating high‑quality, reproducible data to accelerate molecular neurotechnology platforms.

You will collaborate with cross‑functional teams, design and optimize methodologies, ensure regulatory compliance, and mentor Research Associates to expand capabilities

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent experience in Neuroscience, Biology, Bioengineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of postdoctoral or industry experience leading end-to-end in vivo studies.
• Hands-on in vivo research experience with rodent brain surgery.
• Strong documentation, rigor, and data quality.
• Experience in fast-paced, cross-functional environments.
• Ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and scale high-throughput in vivo neuroscience studies in rodents, with emphasis on stereotaxic surgeries and delivery methods, overseeing dosing, monitoring, imaging, and endpoint procedures.
• Design, develop, and optimize novel in vivo methodologies.
• Develop, establish, and characterize novel animal models to evaluate engineered proteins.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on gene delivery for targeted CNS expression.
• Contribute to the development of custom experimental setups integrating imaging and neuromodulation technologies.
• Ensure compliance with animal welfare, regulatory, and biosafety standards.
• Mentor and guide Research Associates to scale in vivo operations.

Skills

In vivo neuroscience

Rodent brain surgery

Study design & execution

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

PhD in Neuroscience / Bioengineering or equivalent

Tools

Optogenetics

Chemogenetics

Sonogenetics

Gene delivery

Ultrasound

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:

Our In Vivo team sits at the core of Merge Labs’ experimental engine, operating at the intersection of neuroscience, molecular biology, and engineering. We are responsible for executing and enabling in vivo studies across multiple teams, making our role critical to the success of the broader mission. We design, build, and run high-quality, scalable in vivo pipelines, supporting a wide range of experimental needs. As a central function, we collaborate closely with cross-functional partners and serve as the backbone for translating ideas into robust, reproducible in vivo data. Given the breadth of teams relying on our work, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of execution, precision, and reproducibility. We are deeply committed to operational excellence, consistency, and continuous improvement, ensuring that every study is executed with rigor and reliability.

About the role:

We are seeking an experienced In Vivo Scientist with a strong background in neuroscience or neuroengineering, and deep expertise in rodent brain surgery and delivery techniques, to lead and scale critical in vivo capabilities. This is a highly hands on role at the core of our experimental engine, where you will help build and refine robust, high throughput surgical and in vivo pipelines from the ground up.

In this role, you will play a pivotal part in translating novel biological tools into in vivo systems, driving the generation of high quality, reproducible data, and enabling rapid iteration of next generation molecular neurotechnology platforms. Your work will directly impact our ability to move fast, innovate, and push the boundaries of brain computer interface technologies.

In this role, you will:

• Design, execute, and scale high-throughput in vivo neuroscience studies in rodents, with a strong focus on stereotaxic surgeries and delivery methods, while overseeing full experimental pipelines including dosing, monitoring, imaging, endpoint procedures, and ensuring consistency, precision, and reproducibility.
• Design, develop, and optimize novel in vivo methodologies.
• Develop, establish, and characterize novel animal models to evaluate the functionality of engineered proteins.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and refine gene delivery for targeted and efficient expression in the CNS.
• Contribute to the development of custom experimental setups integrating imaging and neuromodulation technologies.
• Ensure compliance with animal welfare, regulatory, and biosafety standards.
• Mentor and guide Research Associates to support scaling of in vivo operations.

You might thrive in this role if you:

• Have a PhD or equivalent experience in leading research projects end to end in Neuroscience, Biology, Bioengineering, or related field with 5+ years relevant postdoctoral or equivalent industry experience.
• Have a demonstrated hands on in vivo research experience, with strong expertise in rodent brain surgery and a track record of high-quality study execution, attention to detail, and rigorous documentation practices.
• Have proven ability to design and execute end to end in vivo studies
• Have a strong understanding of experimental rigor, reproducibility, and data quality.
• Have experience working in fast-paced, cross-functional environments.
• Enjoy working with multidisciplinary teams, collaborating and communicating with experts across disciplines.
• Are energized by a fast-paced environment with a high sense of mission and urgency.

Nice to have

• Experience with molecular tools such as Optogenetics, Chemogenetics or Sonogenetics.
• Experience with gene delivery.
• Experience with ultrasound.
• Experience in immunology.

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].

Compensation Range: $120K - $165K