Senior Platform/R&D Researcher - In Vivo Genome Engineering

Valid8 Financial, Inc.; Berkeley, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonuses

Equity grants

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Retirement plan with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Azalea Therapeutics is seeking a Senior Research Associate – Platform/R&D to support molecular biology and analytical workflows, focusing on PCR-based assays, ddPCR, cloning, and NGS-adjacent analysis. The role reports to a Scientist II and emphasizes independent execution and collaboration across teams.

The position is onsite in Berkeley, CA, five days per week, in a fast-paced startup environment that values ownership, rigor, and cross-functional teamwork.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or related life sciences.
• 3+ years of hands-on lab research with molecular biology techniques.
• Experience PCR-based workflows, including qPCR/ddPCR, and cloning.
• Experience with NGS workflows and data analysis.
• Familiarity with scripting and basic bioinformatics concepts.
• Experience in mammalian cell culture and ELNs.

Responsibilities

• Execute molecular biology assays: PCR-based workflows, ddPCR, cloning, sample prep.
• Run and adapt software/pipelines to analyze NGS data.
• Perform routine cloning: Gibson, Golden Gate, restriction cloning; plasmid prep.
• Perform mammalian cell culture and lentiviral vector production.
• Process samples from cell- and tissue-based workflows.
• Generate, organize, and communicate high-quality assay data to R&D teams.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to prioritize samples and troubleshoot workflows.
• Maintain SOPs and contribute to lab process improvements.

Skills

Molecular biology

PCR-based workflows

qPCR/ddPCR

Cloning

NGS data analysis

Bioinformatics basics

Scripting (Python/R)

Mammalian cell culture

Laboratory documentation (ELNs)

Experiment planning

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Molecular Biology/ related life sciences

Tools

KingFisher

NGS workflows software

Flow cytometry (FACS)

Bioinformatics tools

Job description

Azalea Therapeutics is seeking a Senior Research Associate – Platform/R&D to support molecular biology and analytical workflows, focusing on PCR-based assays, ddPCR, cloning, and NGS-adjacent analysis. The role reports to a Scientist II and emphasizes independent execution and collaboration across teams.

The position is onsite in Berkeley, CA, five days per week, in a fast-paced startup environment that values ownership, rigor, and cross-functional teamwork.