Solid Tumor Assay Scientist & Lab Lead

Caris Life Sciences; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Caris Life Sciences seeks a Solid Tumor Scientist to advance assay development and validation for solid tumor profiling in a clinical laboratory. The role combines bench science with project leadership, requiring independent execution of complex experiments and cross-functional collaboration with QA, Regulatory Affairs, Translational Science, and other teams.

The candidate will transfer knowledge, contribute to study documentation, and support successful launches of new assays, ensuring quality

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, Oncology, Cancer Biology or related field with min 4 years of relevant experience; or PhD with 1–3 years postdoc/industry experience.
• Experience explaining molecular assay concepts, controls, data interpretation.
• Knowledge of regulated study design for molecular assay development and analytical validation.

Responsibilities

• Plan, design, and perform lab experiments for solid tumor assay development, optimization, and validation.
• Execute full-scale experiments with limited supervision and appropriate controls.
• Apply knowledge of solid tumor specimens, pre-analytical variables, and nucleic acid yield/quality to experiments.
• Perform nucleic acid extraction and molecular methods, including NGS library prep and quality metrics.
• Troubleshoot assay issues and discuss options with the scientific lead and project team.
• Train staff in methods and maintain equipment, inventory, and documentation.
• Draft and revise experimental plans, validation plans, protocols, reports, and SOPs.
• Analyze data and present clear conclusions and recommendations.
• Ensure compliance with CAP/CLIA, MolDx, and internal quality systems.

Skills

Molecular biology

Data analysis

Communication skills

PCR/NGS techniques

Study documentation

Education

Master's degree in Molecular Biology or related

Ph.D. in Molecular Biology or related (preferred)

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Caris Life Sciences seeks a Solid Tumor Scientist to advance assay development and validation for solid tumor profiling in a clinical laboratory. The role combines bench science with project leadership, requiring independent execution of complex experiments and cross-functional collaboration with QA, Regulatory Affairs, Translational Science, and other teams.

The candidate will transfer knowledge, contribute to study documentation, and support successful launches of new assays, ensuring quality