Research Associate II

About this opportunity:

At Freenome, we are seeking a Research Associate II to join our Reagent Developmentteam within Genomic Early Development. As a Research Associate II, you willparticipate in the development of genomic assay technologies and contribute toFreenome’s multiomic product portfolio aimed at early cancer detection. You will workclosely with Scientists, Automation Engineers, and Computational Biologists todevelop, optimize, and characterize efficient automated workflows to improveexperimental and clinical throughput in a regulated high throughput environment.You will also work with Operations, Quality, and Regulatory to transfer complexmethodologies, processes, and assays to Operations to ensure the highest qualitydata is produced by our clinical lab. You are passionate about contributing todeveloping life-saving diagnostics through early cancer detection, and you will havea significant impact on the continued growth of an organization dedicated tochanging the entire landscape of cancer.

The role reports to the Senior Manager of Genomic Early Development team. This rolewill be an onsite role based in Brisbane, California headquarters.

What you’ll do:

• Apply hands-on knowledge of molecular biology, nucleic-acid biochemistryand next generation sequencing to develop and optimize NGS based methodsand processes following principles of Design Controls for IVD development
• Design and perform experiments to develop and optimize NGS workflowincluding DNA/RNA extraction, library preparation, target capture, andsequencing
• Operate and maintain NGS related instruments such as automated liquidhandlers, PCR instruments, and sequencers
• Conduct new reagents testing and develop reagent quality control methods
• Participate in troubleshooting issues, identify and implement process improvement for the entire analytical workflow
• Collaborate with research, computational scientists, and automation engineersto transfer research prototype assays from Research to Development
• Collaborate with Quality Control Lab, Manufacturing lab, Quality, andRegulatory to transfer reagent quality control methods and manufacturingprocesses from Development to Operations and support the implementationof the methods and processes in Operations
• Accurately record results in electronic lab notebooks, author work instructionsand record forms, contribute to writing study protocols and reports. Diligentlyapply current Good Laboratory and Documentation Practices (cGLP, cGDP)
• Exemplify Freenome cultural values across the organization

Must haves:

• Bachelor’s in molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related field with 2+ years ofexperience in the life sciences or Master’s in molecular biology or a relatedfield
• Hands-on experience in Next-gen sequencing (NGS) based automated assaydevelopment including extraction, library preparation, target capture, andsequencing
• Hands-on experience in nucleic acid preparation, amplification, andquantification (DNA/RNA extraction and purification, PCR, qPCR, ddPCR, Qubit,Fragment Analyzer, Tapestation)
• Experience in working with ctDNA/cfDNA as an analyte in NGS workflows
• Experience with automated platforms in plate-based, low-volume formats andexperience working with automated liquid handlers
• High attention to detail and ability to record accurate and detailedobservations, assess impact, and perform troubleshooting as required
• Ability to perform data analysis and to be critical of results obtained duringexperimentation
• Clear and proactive communication skills and ability to collaborate effectivelywith team members in the same and adjacent disciplines

Nice to haves:

• Experience working in a regulated laboratory environment (CLIA, GLP/GCLP, IVDdevelopment) strongly desired

• Experience in programing in a scientific programming language (e.g., Python orR)

Benefits and additional information:

The US target range of our