Senior Scientist - Assay Development

Guardant Health; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 138,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardant Health, a leading precision oncology company in Palo Alto, is seeking a scientist to develop automated NGS-based assays for cancer detection and monitoring. The role involves cross-functional collaboration with research, bioinformatics, operations, and software teams, and leadership in study design and data interpretation.

The ideal candidate has a PhD in molecular biology or related fields and 5–8 years of industry experience applying design controls to diagnostic assays.

Qualifications

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Genomics, Biochemistry or related field or equivalent experience.
• Requires 5–8 years of industry experience developing and validating diagnostic assays.
• Strong foundation in molecular biology techniques including sample prep for NGS.
• Experience optimizing assays for automated liquid handling platforms.
• Ability to analyze data, communicate results, and collaborate across teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop, test, validate, and improve NGS-based automated oncology diagnostics assays.
• Explore new technologies to drive assay innovation and workflow optimization.
• Integrate analytical tools and experimental design to evaluate performance in high throughput sequencing workflows.
• Collaborate across teams to solve development challenges and implement solutions.
• Operate lab equipment including automated liquid handlers, quantitation instruments, thermocyclers, and NGS instruments.
• Present data, write technical reports and communicate findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Train and support junior team members.

Skills

Quantitative/analytical mindset

Cross-functional teamwork

Communication skills

Curiosity and drive

Education

PhD in Molecular Biology, Genomics, Biochemistry or related field

Tools

Automated liquid handling platforms

NGS platforms

Thermal cyclers

Job description

Company Description

Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant® is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit guardanthealth.com and follow the company on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook.

Profile Summary:

To enable Guardant Health to lead the disruption of cancer diagnostics through non-invasive cancer detection, the Assay Development Team is seeking a highly motivated scientist to develop novel technologies for cancer detection and profiling in a regulated environment. The ideal candidate is passionate about data analysis and troubleshooting and is a team player who excels in a cross-functional environment.

In the Assay Development team, you will collaborate cross-functionally with members from research, bioinformatics, process engineering, operations, and software. You will lead and analyze studies to further the development of automated molecular assays for the early detection, treatment and monitoring of all cancer types.

An ideal candidate has a strong foundation in molecular and nucleic acid biology, with experience developing automated NGS assays on automated platforms in a regulated environment. Experience with non-nucleic acid bioanalytes is also desirable.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop, test, validate, and improve NGS-based automated assays for oncology and cancer screening diagnostics.
• Explore and implement new technologies to drive assay innovation and workflow optimization.
• Integrate analytical tools and experimental design to evaluate performance in a high throughput sequencing sample preparation and specimen handling workflow
• Collaborate across teams to solve development challenges, improve existing NGS workstreams, and propose/implement solutions.
• Operate molecular biology laboratory equipment, including automated liquid handlers, quantitation instruments, thermal cyclers, and NGS instruments.
• Present data, write technical reports and protocols, and communicate findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Train and support junior team members.
• Demonstrate strong commitment to delivering results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment at Guardant Health.

Qualifications

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Genomics, Biochemistry or related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Requires a minimum of 5-8 years of industry experience developing and validating diagnostic assays.
• Strong foundation in molecular biology techniques including sample preparation for NGS and other molecular biology workflows.
• Experience developing assays optimized for implementation on automated liquid handling platforms.
• Quantitative/analytical mindset - ability to segment complex problems into fundamental parts/basic principles, develop models and experimental tests for those models, and synthesize results into actionable solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to organize, document and communicate scientific data.
• Consummate team player: demonstrated ability to thrive in an environment where numerous contributions are required to accomplish complex goals.
• Enjoy working independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment and are able to adapt to changing priorities.
• Curiosity, drive, and sense of humor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing products under design control
• Experience with data science and statistical analysis tools in Python and/or R
• Familiarity with oncology or cancer biology

AI & Digital Fluency

• Demonstrate curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to critically evaluate and responsibly leverage AI-enabled tools in accordance with company policies, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of work.

Hybrid Work Model: This section is applicable to onsite employees who are eligible for hybrid work location as specified by management and related policies. Guardant has defined days for in-person/onsite collaboration and work-from-home days for individual-focused time. All U.S. employees who live within 50 miles of a Guardant facility will be required to be onsite on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. We have found aligning our scheduled in-office days allows our teams to do the best work and creates the focused thinking time our innovative work requires. At Guardant, our work model has created flexibility for better work-life balance while keeping teams connected to advance our science for our patients.

The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are listed below. This range does not include benefits or, if applicable, bonus, commission, or equity. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, education, job-related skills, job duties, and business need. Primary Location: Palo Alto, CA Primary Location Base Pay Range: $138,400 - $190,300 Other US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $117,640 - $161,755 If the role is performed in Colorado, the pay range for this job is: $124,560 - $171,270

Employee may be required to lift routine office supplies and use office equipment.Majority of the work is performed in a desk/office environment; however, there may be exposure to high noise levels, fumes, and biohazard material in the laboratory environment.Ability to sit for extended periods of time.

Guardant Health is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our hiring processes for candidates with disabilities, long-term conditions, mental health conditions, or sincerely held religious beliefs. If you need support, please reach out to [e-mail]

A background screening including criminal history is required for this role. GH will consider qualified applicants with criminal arrest or conviction histories in a manner consistent with applicable law including but not limited to the LA County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).

Guardant Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

To learn more about the information collected when you apply for a position at Guardant Health, Inc. and how it is used, please review our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants.

Please visit our career page at: http://www.guardanthealth.com/jobs/