Job Title: Scientist - Bioassay Development (Onsite)
Location: San Francisco, CA (Onsite | Local candidates preferred)
Schedule: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (some flexibility)
Duration: 12 Months (Possibility of Extension)
Overview:
Recent PhD graduate in Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Molecular Biology, or related field
Strong quantitative and analytical skills
Demonstrated ability to quickly learn and adapt in a laboratory environment
Early-career scientists (0-2 years postdoctoral or industry experience)
Strong foundation in scientific reasoning and data analysis
Highly adaptable and trainable, able to learn in-house assay development techniques, particularly for cellular target engagement workflows
Comfortable working hands-on in a lab, interpreting experimental data, and contributing to assay development
Open to learning new methodologies and aligning with established team processes
Able to plan and conduct experiments with limited supervision, record and analyze data, and ensure reliable results
Position Responsibilities:
Develop and optimize bioassays for routine execution, supporting high-throughput screening (HTS), hit characterization & assessment, lead optimization, and mechanism-of-action (MOA) studies
Design and conduct laboratory experiments, generate and interpret data for assay development and evaluation of therapeutic agents
Learn, apply, and integrate automation solutions during assay development, MOA studies, data analysis, and reporting processes
Design, optimize, and implement workflows for cell line generation to enable development of cell-based assays for screening and/or lead optimization
Plan and execute experiments semi-independently, adapting to evolving project needs
Identify, evaluate, and implement novel methods to develop robust bioassays with reliable and reproducible data
Stay current with scientific literature and actively contribute to data interpretation
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience working collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary biopharmaceutical team
Strong foundation in various bioassays and readouts: TR-FRET, BRET, Alpha, MSD, HCS, luminescence, fluorescence
Expertise in target engagement (TE), activity, functional, phenotypic, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) assays (e.g., TSA, probe displacement, second messenger, ion flux, reporter, protein stability, NanoBiT/NanoBRET, immunoassays, gene activation, cellular imaging)
Extensive experience in functional and phenotypic characterization of engineered cells using DNA sequencing, RT-qPCR, Western Blots
Experience with bioassays on physiologically relevant cellular models: iPSCs, 3D-culture, co-culture, primary cells
Competence in operating multimode plate readers (PHERAstar, CLARIOstar, FLIPR, EnVision) and automated liquid handlers (Echo, Dragonfly, Multidrop Combi, Bravo, BioTek Plate Washer, BlueWasher) for 384- and 1536-well microtiter plate assays
Familiarity with software and statistical platforms for analyzing large datasets, including Screener and Spotfire
Basic Qualifications:
Interview Process:
Important Notes:
Local candidates preferred (no relocation)
Must be able to start quickly
Not suitable for candidates with extensive post-PhD experience (2+ years industry)
Frequent job changes (<6 months) may be a concern
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Spectraforce Technologies
Apr 14, 2026