Senior Scientist, Assay Development

Flagship Pioneering; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 126,000 - 182,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Annual incentive program

Retirement benefits

Job summary

Flagship Pioneering seeks a senior scientist to lead the design, development, optimization and validation of extracellular vesicle–based in vitro assays to diagnose health and disease. The role offers a platform to pioneer state‑of‑the‑art biomarker detection in minimally invasive samples.

The candidate will drive assay optimization, manage workflows, mentor a lab team, and collaborate with CROs, aiming to establish foundational capabilities for FL103’s bioplatform.

Qualifications

• PhD with 5+ years post‑graduate experience preferred (industry).
• Experience in assay troubleshooting, validation and verification.
• Clinical sample testing (plasma/serum) experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, optimization and validation of extracellular vesicle–based in vitro assays.
• Troubleshoot and optimize ultrasensitive immunoassay protocols.
• Coordinate with CROs and external collaborators; communicate results effectively.

Skills

EV assay design

Scientific writing

Project management

Collaboration

Presentation skills

Education

PhD in Chemistry/Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

Tools

Quality management systems

Job description

What if… you could join an organization that creates, resources, and builds life sciences companies that invent breakthrough technologies to transform health care?

In today’s healthcare system, disease diagnosis often relies on invasive procedures, such as biopsies, which enable direct interrogation of cellular and tissue health at the suspected source of disease. Due to their invasiveness, cost, and general inconvenience to the patient, biopsies are often conducted after onset of symptomatic disease presenting one of the largest barriers to delivering interventions early in disease progression when they are likely to be most impactful. Flagship Labs 103, Inc. is a privately held early-stage company that is building advanced technological and computational platforms to pioneer the detection of cellular dynamics from minimally invasive biospecimens that can be leveraged to connect individuals to the most effective interventions to prevent onset and progression of disease.

FL103 was founded by Flagship Pioneering, an innovation enterprise dedicated to originating and developing companies that invent breakthrough technologies that transform health care, agriculture, and sustainability. Since Flagship’s founding in 2000, the firm has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures including Moderna Therapeutics, Generate Biomedicines, and Indigo Agriculture.

Position Summary:

FL103 is seeking a highly motivated and experienced senior scientist to lead the design, development, optimization and validation of extracellular vesicle based in vitro assays to help diagnose health and disease. The successful candidate will be a driven, experienced scientist who is enthusiastic about developing state-of-the‑art techniques to pioneer the detection of low abundance biomarkers from minimally invasive biospecimens in a multiplex format. The position will provide a unique opportunity to play a foundational role in the development of FL103’s innovative bioplatform.

Responsibilities:

• Optimize and troubleshoot ultrasensitive immunoassay protocols to detect EV markers
• Change assay reagents and components to optimize assay performance, driving increases in sensitivity and specificity
• Develop laboratory protocols and optimize workflows to build the foundation of FL103’s platform
• Maintain scientific and technical expertise through familiarity with scientific literature
• Coordinate with Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and external collaborators
• Communicate experimental results effectively through oral presentations and written reports, ensuring clear and concise dissemination of information to the FL103 team
• Help lead, mentor, and build experimental team

Qualifications:

• PhD in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or a related discipline with 5+ years of post‑graduate experience (industry preferred)
• Experience in assay troubleshooting, validation and verification
• Clinical sample testing, including plasma and serum
• Demonstrated ability to be a thoughtful contributor to experimental design and data analysis
• Ability to manage multiple projects, working both independently and collaboratively within a dynamic team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to present results and scientific data to the internal team and\/or collaborators
• Enthusiastic about playing a pivotal role in building the foundation of a new biotech company

Preferred Qualifications

• General experience with extracellular vesicles
• Experience guiding products from concept through feasibility, validation and launch
• Experience working under a quality management system
• Demonstrated experience working with established standards related to development and validation of biomarker assays, including CLSI guidelines or working within a CLIA regulated environment

About Flagship

Flagship Pioneering is a biotechnology company that invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health or sustainability. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated and fostered more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in more than $90 billion in aggregate value. Many of the companies Flagship has founded have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID‑19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture. Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Learn more about Flagship at www.flagshippioneering.com .

Flagship Pioneering is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

At Flagship, we recognize there is no perfect candidate. If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. Experience comes in many forms, skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your unique background.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

Privacy Notice for Applicants:When you apply for a role at Flagship Pioneering or one of its portfolio companies, we collect and use personal information you provide (such as your name, contact details, work history, and application materials) to evaluate your application, communicate with you, and comply with legal obligations. Your application data is processed through Greenhouse, our applicant tracking system, and may also be reviewed using AI‑assisted screening tools. We do not sell your personal information. California residents have rights under the CCPA/CPRA including to know, delete, and opt out of the sharing of your personal information. If you are located in the EU or UK, we process your data under GDPR and you have rights to access, rectify, and erase your data. To exercise your rights or for questions, contact [e-mail].

The salary range for this role is $126,000 - $181,500. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. FL103 currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits. Compensation and benefits information is based on FL103's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.

Privacy Notice for Applicants:When you apply for a role at Flagship Pioneering or one of its portfolio companies, we collect and use personal information you provide (such as your name, contact details, work history, and application materials) to evaluate your application, communicate with you, and comply with legal obligations. Your application data is processed through Greenhouse, our applicant tracking system, and may also be reviewed using AI‑assisted screening tools. We do not sell your personal information. California residents have rights under the CCPA/CPRA including to know, delete, and opt out of the sharing of your personal information. If you are located in the EU or UK, we process your data under GDPR and you have rights to access, rectify, and erase your data. To exercise your rights or for questions, contact [e-mail].