Senior Strain Engineer – Microbial Genetics, Hands-on

Flagship Pioneering; Watertown (MA); On-site; USD 81,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Annual incentive program

Retirement benefits

Job summary

Flagship Pioneering is seeking a highly motivated Senior Research Associate to support microbial strain engineering for recombinant protein production. Reporting to the Senior Scientist, this role emphasizes hands-on genetic engineering of microbial strains in a fast-paced startup setting.

The ideal candidate will have strong DNA design/assembly experience, robust culture techniques, and the ability to work independently while maintaining rigorous documentation and safety practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (with 5-7 years of relevant research experience) or Master’s degree (with 3-5 years of relevant research experience) in Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Biotechnology, or related discipline.
• Hands-on experience in molecular biology, including design, isolation, and assembly of DNA.
• Strong understanding of aseptic technique and microbial culture handling.
• Strong communication, organizational and documentation skills.
• Ability to independently execute experiments and troubleshoot routine process issues.

Responsibilities

• DNA Design and Assembly: Construct plasmids using modern molecular biology techniques (e.g: Golden Gate assembly, HiFi assembly, etc.).
• DNA Design and Assembly: Perform sequencing analysis using state-of-the-art NGS technologies and software.
• DNA Design and Assembly: Prepare plasmid DNA through mini-preps, maxi-preps, etc.

Skills

Molecular biology

DNA design & assembly

Aseptic technique

Experiment troubleshooting

Communication & documentation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering/Biochemistry/Biotechnology (5–7 years)

Master’s degree in Bioengineering/Biochemistry/Biotechnology (3–5 years)

Tools

Benchling

Geneious

Job description

Flagship Pioneering is seeking a highly motivated Senior Research Associate to support microbial strain engineering for recombinant protein production. Reporting to the Senior Scientist, this role emphasizes hands-on genetic engineering of microbial strains in a fast-paced startup setting.

The ideal candidate will have strong DNA design/assembly experience, robust culture techniques, and the ability to work independently while maintaining rigorous documentation and safety practices.