Staff Scientist - cfDNA Assay Development

Natera; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 157,000 - 197,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive bonus

Long-term equity awards

401(k) with match

Generous PTO & holidays

Wellness programs

Job summary

Natera is seeking a Staff Scientist to join the assay development team in California. You will lead high-impact projects, plan feasibility and validation studies, and collaborate with R&D, automation, biostatistics, and data science teammates to advance cfDNA testing platforms.

You will guide junior scientists, manage priorities in a CLIA-regulated environment, and contribute to continuous improvement of Natera’s genomic assays and products.

Qualifications

• PhD/MS/BS with relevant lab experience in genetics or molecular biology.
• Experience developing and validating molecular assays for clinical testing.
• Strong project leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a regulated lab.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional assay development projects and timelines.
• Plan and report feasibility, development, verification, and validation studies.
• Collaborate with research, automation, biostatistics and data science teams.
• Document data and recommendations to R&D, Quality, and Regulatory groups.
• Mentor scientists and research associates as needed.

Skills

NGS workflows

Project management

Data analysis (Python/R)

Communication

Laboratory automation

Molecular biology

Education

PhD in genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry

MS in related field

BS in related field

Tools

Illumina sequencing

PacBio long-read sequencing

qPCR

ddPCR

Automation platforms

Job description

Natera is seeking a Staff Scientist to join the assay development team in California. You will lead high-impact projects, plan feasibility and validation studies, and collaborate with R&D, automation, biostatistics, and data science teammates to advance cfDNA testing platforms.

You will guide junior scientists, manage priorities in a CLIA-regulated environment, and contribute to continuous improvement of Natera’s genomic assays and products.