Research Associate 2 - R&D
GRAIL is a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early, when it can be cured. GRAIL is focused on alleviating the global burden of cancer by developing pioneering technology to detect and identify multiple deadly cancer types early. The company is using the power of next-generation sequencing, population-scale clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data science to enhance the scientific understanding of cancer biology, and to develop its multi-cancer early detection blood test. GRAIL is headquartered in Menlo Park, CA with locations in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and the United Kingdom. It is supported by leading global investors and pharmaceutical, technology, and healthcare companies. For more information, please visit www.grail.com.
GRAIL is seeking a Research Associate 2 for the R&D technology development team to contribute to the development and optimization of assays for early cancer detection. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning and execution of experiments and data analysis with the guidance of senior scientists. The ideal candidate is a detail-oriented, strong team player with experience in nucleic acid assay development, next generation sequencing and data analysis.
You Will:
- Develop experiment plans to support study objectives
- Test and optimize custom protocols
- Execute R&D experiments to generate high quality data by following best practices of assay and instrument operations
- Collaborate with automation engineers to optimize assay workflows and processes on semi/fully automated robotic platforms
- Perform data analysis and document study outcomes
- Present data at technical meetings
Your Background Should Include:
- B.S. or M.S. degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or relevant disciplines
- Minimum 2 years of industry or equivalent work experience
- Minimum 1 year of experience with Illumina NGS workflows including DNA extraction, library preparation, and sequencing
- Experience with developing and optimizing new assay protocols
- Proficient with basic molecular biology laboratory techniques (e.g, pipetting, SPRI, PCR, qPCR) and nucleic acids extraction and analysis techniques (e.g., Nanodrop, Bioanalyzer, Fragment Analyzer, ddPCR)
- Experience with statistical programming and software (e.g., R, JMP) a plus
- Attention to detail, safety, good laboratory practice, and good documentation practice
- Strong verbal and written communication skills and willingness to collaborate cross-functionally in a fast paced and dynamic environment
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.