Senior Research Associate (Contractor)

Freenome; Brisbane (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Freenome is seeking a Senior Research Associate in Brisbane, California, to grow their Genomics Assay Development team. The role involves developing assay technologies for early cancer detection using next-generation sequencing. Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in molecular biology, biochemistry, or genetics, with at least 4 years of experience in the life sciences. Responsibilities include experimental design, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration. Join Freenome in making a significant impact on cancer diagnostics.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of professional experience in life sciences, preferably in clinical diagnostics.
• Experience executing IVD assays in a regulated laboratory environment.
• Hands-on experience in NGS based assay development.
• Ability to manually pipette with high confidence and precision.
• Clear communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize assay technologies for NGS.
• Conduct mission-critical experiments to characterize assay performance.
• Analyze data and communicate results cross-functionally.
• Collaborate with engineering and clinical laboratory members.

Skills

Molecular biology

Nucleic-acid biochemistry

Next-generation sequencing

Data analysis

Technical troubleshooting

Experiment design and execution

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics or a related field

Job description

At Freenome, we are seeking a Senior Research Associate to help grow our Genomics Assay Development team. At Freenome, you will help develop the assay technologies used to analyze patient samples and contribute to our mission of early cancer detection. The ideal candidate will work to develop assay technologies for our multiomic platform manually and on robotic platforms. You will develop, characterize, verify, and validate clinical-grade assays to measure complex, blood-based analytes (e.g., whole-genome sequencing of cfDNA). You will work cross-functionally with Research & Development teams, automation and process engineering, computational science, and clinical operations to develop and transfer NGS-based assays in a regulated, high-throughput environment. You are passionate about developing life saving diagnostics using NGS technologies, and you will have a significant impact on the continued growth of an organization dedicated to changing the entire landscape of cancer.

The role reports to the Manager of Genomics Late Stage Development. This role will be an onsite role based in our Brisbane, California headquarters.

What you’ll do:

• Apply knowledge of molecular biology, nucleic-acid biochemistry, and next-generation sequencing to develop assays for DNA, including genome-wide and targeted approaches
• Participate in experimental design and independently plan and execute mission-critical experiments to optimize and characterize assay performance
• Create and manipulate high impact assay inputs, including use of biological samples and formulation of contrived samples and reagents as required
• Gather high-quality data, take detailed notes, and openly communicate on lessons learned while performing experiments
• Perform data analysis, create summary presentations, and present results cross-functionally
• Perform technical troubleshooting, identify and implement process improvements across the lab by thinking critically about the execution of all experiments
• Build productive working relationships and collaborate with engineers and clinical laboratory members to transition development protocols into clinical production, including automation, validation experiments, and SOP development
• Contribute to writing study protocols and reports. Diligently apply current Good Laboratory and Documentation Practices (cGLP, cGDP)

Must haves:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, or a related field with at least 4 years of professional experience in the life sciences. Prior experience in clinical diagnostics and/or working in a start-up environment is preferred
• Experience executing verification and validation studies for IVD assays in a regulated laboratory environment (GLP)
• Hands‑on experience in Next‑gen sequencing (NGS) based assay development including extraction, library preparation, target capture, and sequencing
• Familiarity with molecular biology, genomics, NGS, assay development, sample preparation, reagent handling, or related laboratory workflows (e.g., plasma separation processes, DNA/RNA extraction, purification, and quantification, NGS library preparation)
• Experience designing, planning, and executing successful experiments, interpreting results, preparing data for review, and giving effective scientific presentations
• High attention to detail and ability to record accurate and detailed observations, assess impact, and perform troubleshooting as required
• Ability to manually pipette with high confidence, accuracy, and precision
• Clear and proactive communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with team members in the same and adjacent disciplines
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to contribute the design and implementation of new processes
• Flexible and highly motivated to learn new skills and comfortable adapting to changing priorities

Nice to haves:

• Experience in working with methylated ctDNA/cfDNA as an analyte in liquid biopsy workflows
• Experience with automated liquid handlers, laboratory information systems, sample tracking systems, and equipment scheduling/status tools
• Familiarity with programing in a scientific programming language (e.g., Python or R)

Additional information:

Contractors may be hired through a third-party provider and will be considered contingent workers. We invite you to check out our career page at freenome.com/job-openings/ for additional company information.

Freenome is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. Freenome does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws.