Senior Research Assistant - \"Vitro\"

Isac Net; Portland, Northern (OR, KY); Hybrid; USD 49,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Retirement plans

208 PTO hours per year

Commuter subsidies

Tuition reimbursement

Group life and disability insurance

Job summary

OHSU Knight Cancer Institute in Portland, OR is seeking a Senior Research Assistant to support drug development projects under supervision. You will design and perform experiments, manage samples and data, and train junior staff in cellular and molecular biology methods.

The role involves coordinating experiments, maintaining compliance, and contributing to manuscript preparation. A strong background in molecular biology and cell culture is essential for success in a collaborative team setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in relevant field and 1 year of relevant experience or equivalent
• Experience with bioconjugation of biomolecules and biomolecule purification, molecular biology techniques (cell culture, PCR, gel electrophoresis, Western blot)
• Ability to operate complex scientific equipment and troubleshoot protocols
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and coordinate timelines
• Strong organization, communication, and teamwork skills
• Experience with data management and analytical reporting

Responsibilities

• Conduct laboratory research and experiments with minimal supervision
• Perform cell culture, molecular biology techniques, data collection and analysis
• Assist with study design, regulatory activities, and manuscript preparation
• Support multiple projects and ensure project continuity
• Provide operational support and act as backup for lab needs
• Maintain laboratory space and supplies, organize samples and datasets

Skills

Molecular biology

Cell culture

PCR

Flow cytometry

Data analysis

Project management

Scientific writing

Communication

Troubleshooting

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's in relevant field

Tools

MS Office

Statistical analysis software

Cell culture equipment

Job description

Description

Senior Research Assistant - "Vitro"

US-OR-Portland

Requisition ID: 2026-41399

Position Category: Research

Job Type: Research

Position Type: Regular Full-Time

Posting Department: CEDAR - Knight Cancer Institute

Posting Salary Range: $48,506 - $75,254 annual salary with offer based on experience, education and internal equity

Posting FTE: 1.00

Posting Schedule: Monday through Friday

Posting Hours: 8:30am to 5:00pm plus occasional nights and weekends

HR Mission: School of Medicine

Drug Testable: No

Department Overview

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is a pioneer in personalized cancer treatment and research, led by Dr. Brian Druker, whose development of Gleevec transformed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia from a fatal disease to a manageable one and proved that targeted therapies can work. The institute focuses on precision oncology, the early detection, prevention, and treatment of cancer, and creating a welcoming and supportive environment for its caregivers, researchers, and support personnel. Knight affiliates subscribe to three guiding principles: we are bold, we are supportive, and we work as a connected team in our fight to end cancer as we know it. We d love for you to join us!

Every Knight Cancer employee is expected to embody our guiding principles:

• We act BOLDLY—Breakthroughs require pushing the boundaries of science, exploring new frontiers, and thinking differently
• We SUPPORT each other—Respect leads to trust, which leads to excellence
• We work as a CONNECTED team — We must leverage our collective brain power to conquer cancer because no one individual can do it alone

Function/Duties of Position

As a Senior Research Assistant, you will be part of a collaborative project team focused on drug development. You will support laboratory research by assisting in research activities of the project where needed and as appropriate for your training and interest. You will help to design and implement experiments and will have independent responsibility for research studies. You will conduct research with minimal supervision. You will have a detailed knowledge of all aspects of laboratory research and need to be comfortable working both individually and in highly collaborative teams. You should possess good organizational and interpersonal skills. You will contribute to the scientific direction and planning for experiments within the project. Major roles for you will involve providing support and working directly in experiments involving animal work, cellular and molecular biology experiments, assisting in experimental design, training scientists and supervising students and Research Assistants, maintaining laboratory space and supplies, assisting in various other research activities, and organizing samples, datasets and studies.

May be located in shared services/core or work directly under a Principal Investigator (PI) to include sample processing, assays, cell/tissue culture, animal studies, library research, data collection, recording transcription, etc.

Duties Include:

• Conducts laboratory research and experiments with minimal supervision.
• Performs cell culture, molecular biology techniques, data collection, analysis, and research documentation.
• Assists with study design, regulatory activities, and manuscript preparation.
• Supports multiple research projects by developing methods, coordinating activities, and maintaining project continuity.
• Provides operational support and serves as a backup resource for laboratory and project needs.
• Laboratory organization and compliance

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's in relevant field AND 1 year of relevant experience OR Equivalent combination of training and experience
• Experience with bioconjugation of biomolecules and biomolecule purification, general molecular biology techniques such as sample processing, cell culture, flow cytometry, DNA purification for mammalian cell cultures, PCR, gel electrophoresis, plate readers, western blot
• Ability to operate complex scientific equipment and develop and troubleshoot complex experimental protocols
• Must possess energy and drive to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously: prioritize, schedule, manage and coordinate
• Demonstrated ability to undertake research and project management work under broad direction only, exercise initiative in undertaking responsibilities and work effectively with team members
• Demonstrated high level organization and communication skills
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including the ability to work both collaboratively in a team and autonomously when required
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with a high performing work group in problem solving
• Demonstrated ability to build productive cross functional collaborations both internally and externally
• Demonstrated ability to learn new and innovative processes quickly
• Training in handling chemical and biologically hazardous materials
• Knowledge of policy and regulations applicable to the laboratory, including but not limited to safety, animal use and radiation
• Technical proficiency, scientific creativity, collaborative ability, and independent thinker
• Ability to analyze short and long term project needs
• Must have excellent communication, analytical and organizational skills: both written and verbal
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy to maintain effective working relationships
• Proficient with computers specifically MS Office (which includes, Excel, Access, Word and PowerPoint) and statistical analysis software

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to work with small animals
• Experience working within OHSU's Department of Comparative Medicine
• Familiarity with OHSU shared research resources
• Experience with mouse injections, xenograft tumors, or small animal imaging
• Experience with cell and tissue culture
• Experience with biologic tissue and sample collection and preparationExperience in handling chemical and biologically hazardous materials
• Ability to train diverse students and Research Assistants

Additional Details

We offer a variety of benefits on top of joining a thriving organization:

• Medical, dental and vision coverage at no or low cost to employees
  • Covered 100% for full-time employees and 88% for dependents
• Several retirement plans to choose from with contributions from OHSU
• 208 hours of PTO per year
• 8 days of sick time off
• 9 paid holidays per year
• Commuter subsidies
• Tuition reimbursement
• Access to group life insurance, disability insurance and other supplemental benefits
• Annual Merit Increase
• Growth/Development Opportunities
• Employee discounts to local and major businesses

#linkedin #indeed #knightcancerjobs #knightresearchandlabjobs #knightresearchjobs #knightnews