Senior Surface Chemist for NGS/IVD Platforms

Sarmal; San Diego, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 162,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision

Company-paid life insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Sarmal, Inc. in San Diego develops next‑gen genomics and molecular detection platforms. We are seeking a Senior Scientist to Staff Scientist Surface Chemist to drive the design, development, and optimization of functionalized surfaces for NGS and IVD applications.

This role sits at the interface of chemistry, materials science, and device engineering. The ideal candidate will have hands‑on expertise in surface chemistry, thin films, and patterning, with a track record of troubleshooting

Qualifications

• Experience developing functional surfaces for biomolecular applications and ultra-low fouling surfaces.
• Knowledge of nucleic acid chemistry and surface effects on hybridization.
• Hands-on surface deposition/patterning methods (PE-CVD, CVD, spin/dip/spray, plasma activation, photolithography or inkjet patterning).
• Experience with electrode surfaces (gold, platinum, carbon, ITO) and electrochemical platforms.
• Experience with diverse substrates: glass, silicon, metals, polymers, patterned surfaces.
• Strong DOE, statistics, and data interpretation skills.
• Empirical knowledge of bioconjugations on microarrays and biointerfaces.
• Proficiency with surface characterization methods (contact angle, XPS, AFM, SEM/EDS, ellipsometry, FTIR, QCM-D, profilometry).
• Familiarity with QC method development for surface characterization.

Responsibilities

• Design, synthesize, and optimize surface chemistries for oligonucleotide immobilization, amplification, and hybridization on NGS and IVD platforms.
• Develop and optimize surface functionalization on diverse substrates.
• Lead scale‑up of surface deposition and patterning processes (PE‑CVD, CVD, spin/coating, plasma, print patterning).
• Characterize surface chemistry performance and quality; correlate properties to assay performance.
• Collaborate on electrode surface modification and electrochemical evaluation.
• Design DOEs to optimize coating uniformity and lot‑to‑lot consistency; support root‑cause investigations.
• Maintain technical reports, batch records, and regulatory documentation.
• Maintain awareness of literature and emerging technologies.
• Mentor scientists; may manage junior staff.
• Support IP strategy and invention disclosures.

Skills

Surface chemistry

DOE & data analysis

Nucleic acid chemistry

Patterning/Deposition

Electrochemical characterization

Analytical spectroscopy

Troubleshooting

Documentation & QC

Mentoring

Regulatory awareness

Education

Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemistry, or related field

M.S. in Materials Science or Chemistry

B.S. in Materials Science or related field

Tools

PE-CVD

CVD

Spin coating

Dip coating

Spray coating

Plasma activation/etching

Photolithography

Inkjet patterning

XPS

AFM

SEM

QCM‑D

Ellipsometry

FTIR

Job description

Sarmal, Inc. in San Diego develops next‑gen genomics and molecular detection platforms. We are seeking a Senior Scientist to Staff Scientist Surface Chemist to drive the design, development, and optimization of functionalized surfaces for NGS and IVD applications.

This role sits at the interface of chemistry, materials science, and device engineering. The ideal candidate will have hands‑on expertise in surface chemistry, thin films, and patterning, with a track record of troubleshooting