Senior Research Associate/Associate Scientist, Stem Cell Biology

Conception; Berkeley, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Conception is pioneering the future of reproductive biology by generating functional human eggs from iPSCs. We are seeking an experienced stem cell scientist who thrives in hands-on culture work and takes ownership of culture quality in a fast-moving environment.

You will maintain iPSC/ESC cultures, reduce variability, document diligently, and support QC and cell banks. Availability for Sunday–Thursday shifts is required, with salary adjustment for this schedule.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD in biology or related field.
• Hands-on experience maintaining human iPSC and/or ESC cultures.
• Strong sterile technique with good judgment on culture health.
• Attention to documentation and reducing batch variability.

Responsibilities

• Maintain human iPSC/ESC cultures and perform passaging, expansion, freezing and thawing.
• Own culture quality, monitor morphology and confluency, identify problems early.
• Minimize culture stress and ensure consistent technique across operators.
• Reduce variability across batches and workflows.
• Support cell banks and QC, including mycoplasma and sterility testing.
• Perform directed differentiations with careful timing and tracking.
• Improve protocols and QC standards for stem cell workflows.
• Document culture history clearly and thoroughly; prepare reagents.

Skills

iPSC culture

ESC culture

flow cytometry

cell culture QC

documentation

team player

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in biology

Tools

Flow cytometer

Mycoplasma testing assays

Job description

Shifted schedule (Sunday-Thursday)

About Conception:

Conception is pioneering the future of reproductive biology by generating functional human eggs from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Our mission is to unlock new possibilities for fertility, reproductive health, and genetic diversity. We are building a world-class team to make this vision a reality.

The role:

We are looking for an experienced stem cell scientist who genuinely enjoys maintaining and handling human pluripotent stem cells and wants to build a career doing this work extremely well.

This person should take real ownership of culture quality. You should have strong judgment around what healthy cultures look like, notice when something is starting to go wrong, and have a do no harm mindset around handling sensitive cells and minimizing unnecessary stress.

A big part of the job is also the discipline that comes with good cell culture: careful documentation, tracking culture history, maintaining cell banks, following QC closely, and working to reduce batch-to-batch variability as much as possible. We want someone who enjoys this part of the work too and takes pride in being meticulous.

This is a very hands-on role. We are specifically looking for someone who likes being at the hood, likes caring for cells, and wants to become exceptionally good at it.

Availability for the Sunday-Thursday schedule is critical to our workflows, and we offer a salary adjustment for this schedule.

What you’ll do:

• Maintain human iPSC/ESC cultures: Culture, passage, expand, freeze and thaw sensitive stem cell lines while maintaining consistently high culture quality.
• Own culture quality: Develop strong judgment around morphology, confluency, differentiation, recovery and overall culture health, and identify problems early.
• Minimize culture stress: Handle cells carefully and consistently, paying attention to small differences in technique that can affect quality and downstream performance.
• Reduce variability: Help make our stem cell workflows as consistent and reproducible as possible across operators and batches.
• Support cell banks and QC: Maintain cell banks and perform routine QC, including mycoplasma and sterility testing, characterization and sample preparation for whole-genome sequencing.
• Perform directed differentiations: Run routine differentiations with careful attention to timing, handling and outcome tracking.
• Improve processes: Help stabilize protocols, define QC standards and ultimately contribute to process development for our stem cell workflows.
• Document everything well: Maintain clear, accurate culture records, track deviations and outcomes, and help ensure that culture history is easy to understand and trace.
• Prepare critical reagents: Prepare media, small molecules and other cell culture reagents consistently and carefully.

Experience:

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in biology, stem cell biology, or a related field
• Hands-on experience maintaining human iPSC and/or ESC cultures
• Industry experience strongly preferred
• Strong sterile technique and excellent judgment around healthy versus poor-quality stem cell cultures
• Strong attention to detail, documentation, and record-keeping
• Experience working to improve consistency and reduce batch-to-batch variability
• Prior hands-on flow cytometry experience
• Comfortable with repetitive, detail-oriented work where consistency really matters
• Someone who genuinely enjoys tissue culture and wants this to be a meaningful part of their long-term career
• Positive attitude and strong team mindset

We are open to candidates across the Senior Research Associate / Associate Scientist range, including PhD-level candidates. Level and title will be based on relevant experience, technical depth, and demonstrated independence.

Why join us:

• Impact: Be part of a high-reliability stem cell core that underpins our preclinical pipeline, with the potential to transform human reproduction
• Growth: Gain experience with cutting-edge stem cell culture methods and QC approaches
• Community: Work alongside passionate scientists tackling one of the most exciting frontiers in biology with a deeply aligned team
• Mission: Build the biological foundation for a new era of reproductive medicine, expanding what is possible for millions of people and families with limited options today