Senior Research Associate - Technology Development

Profluent is the frontier AI lab for biology. Profluent builds powerful foundation models for all of life's molecules, unlocking solutions that transform medicine, agriculture, and beyond. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Emeryville, CA, Profluent is backed by leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Bezos Expeditions, Spark Capital, Insight Partners, Air Street Capital, AIX Ventures, and Convergent Ventures and has raised over $150M to date.

Profluent is seeking a creative, passionate, and detail-oriented individual to join our Technology Development team and contribute to the development and application of high-throughput workflows for genome editing.

This role has two primary components:

1. You will conceptualize, develop, execute, and scale arrayed assays for gene editing in mammalian cells for a well-scoped, external facing project.
2. You will collaborate internally to develop and improve novel and existing assays and processes.

In both areas, you will work at the intersection of biology, automation, and data to advance cutting-edge research. You will drive impactful projects and contribute to the conception, design, analysis, and interpretation of experiments. You will bring creative, literature-informed problem-solving to early-stage conceptualization and troubleshooting, and apply a detail-oriented, data-driven mindset during late-stage optimization.
As part of the team, you will excel as both an individual contributor and a collaborator, actively supporting shared goals while learning from and contributing to new technical and conceptual areas. Your adaptability and curiosity will help advance Profluent’s mission to develop transformative gene-editing technologies.

We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds who share our commitment to revolutionizing biology, driving meaningful innovation, and making a lasting impact on global healthcare.

This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of AI-driven protein design while collaborating with a dynamic, interdisciplinary team of experts in machine learning, protein engineering, cell biology, and gene editing.

Responsibilities

• Develop, execute, and automate arrayed and pooled mammalian cell-based gene editing assays
• Design and execute low and high throughput plasmid cloning campaigns for construction of DNA libraries
• Leverage variety of readouts, including plate-based assays, flow cytometry, and next generation sequencing (NGS)
• Perform mammalian cell culture and transfection
• Precisely track and document experimental samples, assay data, and results
• Analyze experimental data and interpret results
• Present experimental results to colleagues in team and cross-team meetings
• Contribute to lab maintenance and adhere to EHS standards

Qualifications

• BS and in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or a related field and 4 years or MS in in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or a related field and 2 years of relevant industry research experience
• Extensive, hands-on experience with mammalian and bacterial cell culture and molecular biology
• Experience with flow cytometry
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across interdisciplinary teams
• Strong organizational skills to accurately track laboratory samples and experimental data

Preferences

• Experience with CRISPR and/or mammalian cell-based gene editing assays
• Experience with next generation sequencing wet lab and computational workflows/analysis
• Experience with high throughput screening workflows
• Experience with process development and and structured collaboration
• Experience processing and analyzing large experimental datasets (i.e. Python or JMP)

What We Offer

• High-growth opportunity with meaningful impact on the future of protein design
• Competitive compensation package with equity participation
• 401(k) with a strong employer match
• Comprehensive benefits including health/dental/vision insurance
• Generous PTO policy and commitment to work-life balance
• Professional development opportunities in a cutting-edge field at the intersection of AI and biology

Profluent Bio, Inc is an equal opportunity employer promoting diversity and inclusion in the workspace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding), genetic information, taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, or any other basis protected by law.

Work Authorization Requirement
Applicants must have ongoing work authorization in the United States that does not require employer sponsorship. Sponsorship will not be provided now or at any time in the future for this position.

Employment Eligibility Verification

Legal authorization to work in the United States is required. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired must verify their identity and work eligibility and complete the required employment verification form upon hire.

Hiring Salary Range

$104,000—$110,000 USD

NOTICE TO STAFFING AND SEARCH FIRMS: Profluent does not accept unsolicited candidate submissions. We ask that agencies refrain from sending resumes to our careers inbox, hiring managers, or any Profluent employee. Any resume submitted without a signed agreement and an active search request from our Talent team will be treated as the property of Profluent, and no placement fee will be owed.