Senior Scientist, Organoid

Conception; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Company equity

Excellent healthcare benefits

Job summary

Conception in Berkeley is seeking a senior scientist focused on advancing 3D organoid model systems to revolutionize reproductive biology. The role involves developing and optimizing protocols while collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance biological relevance.

Ideal candidates hold a PhD in Stem Cell Biology or Developmental Biology and possess strong hands-on experience in tissue engineering and organoid model systems. Competitive pay, equity, and excellent healthcare benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• PhD in Stem Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, or a related field.
• Experience in organoid microenvironment manipulation or bioengineering.
• Strong expertise in troubleshooting differentiation trajectories.
• Proven organizational and communication capabilities.
• Ability to drive project direction by aligning with company goals.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize differentiation protocols for organoid development.
• Mentor scientists and set expectations for project execution.
• Synthesize results and communicate progress to leadership.
• Collaborate across teams to integrate findings and advance objectives.
• Foster a positive, curious, and technically excellent team culture.

Skills

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Teamwork

Hands-on experience

Education

PhD in Stem Cell Biology or Developmental Biology

Tools

SmartSeq2

single-cell RNA-seq

ATAC-seq

Job description

Experience level

PhD plus postdoctoral training or equivalent industry experience (typically 3+ years post-PhD).

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 at the intersection of stem cell biology, developmental biology, and synthetic biology to make this vision a reality.

The position

We are seeking an exceptionally strong, hands‑on senior scientist to help drive scientific progress in the development and application of advanced 3D organoid model systems. In this role, you will lead efforts to develop, optimize, and implement protocols that enable our organoids to more faithfully recapitulate the native tissue niche, improving their biological relevance and utility. You will also work closely with cross‑functional project teams pursuing related scientific objectives, translating discoveries, sharing technical learnings, and helping integrate model system advances across programs. This position is ideal for someone who is both scientifically rigorous and highly collaborative, with a strong interest in building physiologically relevant systems that can accelerate discovery and translational impact.

The most successful candidate will bring hands‑on experience developing new differentiation protocols, strong tissue engineering expertise, and a deep understanding of how cellular microenvironments influence tissue identity, maturation, and function.

What you’ll do

• Independently design, develop, and optimize differentiation and tissue engineering protocols that improve organoid fidelity, maturation, reproducibility, and relevance to the native tissue niche
• Lead day‑to‑day execution while mentoring and developing scientists, setting expectations for rigor, documentation, and pace
• Synthesize experimental results, communicate progress clearly to scientific and program leadership, and help guide strategic decisions for platform and program development
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional project teams to share findings, integrate complementary approaches, and advance common objectives across related model system efforts
• Foster a team culture grounded in curiosity, urgency, flexibility, technical excellence, and transparency

What we’re looking for

• PhD in Stem Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, or a related field, plus postdoctoral training or equivalent industry experience
• Experience with organoid microenvironment manipulation or bioengineering of tissue and/or organoid model systems
• Deep hands‑on expertise in troubleshooting differentiation trajectories and complex model systems. Ideally expertise in setting up model systems; not just optimizing an already established protocol
• Exceptionally strong organizational and communication skills including thorough record keeping and priority‑aligned executive summarization
• Ability to drive project direction and prioritize based on company goals
• Strong analytical skills including experience interpreting sequencing datasets (SmartSeq2, single‑cell RNA‑seq, ATAC‑seq, EM‑seq, or similar)
• Strong work ethic and team‑first mindset. Willing to do hands‑on work, including routine and repetitive tasks, and step in when needed
• Able to thrive in a high‑intensity, fast‑paced, flexible startup environment
• Familiarity with reproductive biology, particularly ovarian development and the germ cell lifecycle, is a plus

Why join us

• Impact: Own one of Conception’s most critical preclinical programs, with the potential to transform human reproduction
• Ownership: Operate with autonomy in a fast‑moving biotech startup and build a program end‑to‑end
• Growth: Develop and lead a small team and expand scope as the program scales
• 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

Come and work with us

We are well funded and well connected in Silicon Valley. We offer competitive pay, company equity, and excellent healthcare benefits for these positions.