Senior Stem Cell Culture Scientist

Conception; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Conception is seeking an experienced stem cell scientist to maintain human iPSC/ESC cultures with meticulous care and ownership of culture quality. The role emphasizes deep expertise in culture health, contamination prevention, and reducing batch-to-batch variability, with a hands-on focus in a protected lab environment.

The position requires strong attention to detail, precise documentation, and comfort with repetitive, detail-oriented work.

Qualifications

• 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 vs. 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 matters.
• Genuine passion for tissue culture and long-term career in this area.
• Positive attitude and strong team mindset.

Responsibilities

• Maintain human iPSC/ESC cultures: culture, passage, expand, freeze and thaw sensitive stem cell lines.
• Own culture quality: develop judgment around morphology, confluency, differentiation, recovery and overall culture health; identify problems early.
• Minimize culture stress: handle cells carefully and consistently; monitor small technique differences.
• Reduce variability: make workflows more consistent and reproducible across operators and batches.
• Support cell banks and QC: maintain cell banks and perform routine QC including mycoplasma and sterility testing, characterization, and sample prep for whole-genome sequencing.
• Perform directed differentiations: run routine differentiations with careful timing, handling and outcome tracking.
• Improve processes: stabilize protocols, define QC standards, contribute to process development for stem cell workflows.
• Document everything well: maintain culture records, track deviations and outcomes, ensure traceability of culture history.
• Prepare critical reagents: prepare media, small molecules and other culture reagents consistently and carefully.

Skills

iPSC culture

Stem cell culture

Flow cytometry

Sterile technique

Attention to detail

Documentation & record-keeping

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor/Master/PhD in biology or related field

Tools

Flow cytometer

Cell culture equipment

Job description

Conception is seeking an experienced stem cell scientist to maintain human iPSC/ESC cultures with meticulous care and ownership of culture quality. The role emphasizes deep expertise in culture health, contamination prevention, and reducing batch-to-batch variability, with a hands-on focus in a protected lab environment.

The position requires strong attention to detail, precise documentation, and comfort with repetitive, detail-oriented work.