New

Senior Research Associate

Brisbane, California

About this opportunity:

At Freenome, we are seeking a Senior Research Associate to help grow the Freenome Genomic Early Development team. As a Senior Research Associate, you will participate in the development of genomic assay technologies and contribute to Freenome’s multiomic product portfolio aimed at early cancer detection. You will work closely with Scientists, Automation Engineers, and Computational Biologists to develop, optimize, and characterize efficient automated workflows to improve experimental and clinical throughput in a regulated high throughput environment. You will also work with Operations, Quality, and Regulatory to transfer complex methodologies, processes, and assays to Operations to ensure the highest quality data is produced by our clinical lab. You are passionate about contributing to developing life-saving diagnostics through early cancer detection, and you will have a significant impact on the continued growth of an organization dedicated to changing the entire landscape of cancer.

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

What you’ll do:

  • Apply hands-on knowledge of molecular biology, nucleic-acid biochemistry and next generation sequencing to develop and optimize NGS based methods and processes following principles of Design Controls for IVD development.
  • Design and perform experiments to develop, optimize, and characterize NGS workflow including DNA/RNA extraction, library preparation, target capture, and sequencing.
  • Operate and maintain NGS related instruments such as automated liquid handlers, 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 engineers to transfer research prototype assays from Research to Development.
  • Collaborate with Quality Control Lab, Manufacturing lab, Quality, and Regulatory to transfer reagent quality control methods and manufacturing processes from Development to Operations and support the implementation of the methods and processes in Operations.
  • Accurately record results in electronic lab notebooks, author work instructions and record forms, contribute to writing study protocols and reports. Diligently apply current Good Laboratory and Documentation Practices (cGLP, cGDP).

Must haves:

  • Bachelor’s in molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related field with at least 4 years of experience in the life sciences or Master’s in molecular biology or a related field. 
  • Hands-on experience in Next-gen sequencing (NGS) based assay development including extraction, library preparation, target capture, and sequencing.
  • Familiarity with molecular biology, genomics, NGS, assay development, sample preparation, reagent handling, or related laboratory workflows (e.g. plasma separation processes, DNA/RNA extraction, purification, and quantification, NGS library preparation).
  • Experience designing, planning, and executing successful experiments, interpreting results, preparing data for review, and giving effective scientific presentations.
  • High attention to detail and ability to record accurate and detailed observations, assess impact, and perform troubleshooting as required.
  • Ability to manually pipette with high confidence, accuracy, and precision.
  • Clear and proactive communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with team members in the same and adjacent disciplines.
  • Strong organizational skills and the ability to contribute the design and implementation of new processes.
  • Flexible and highly motivated to learn new skills and comfortable adapting to changing priorities.

Nice to haves:

  • Experience in working with with methylated ctDNA/cfDNA as an analyte in liquid biopsy workflows.
  • Experience with automated liquid handlers, laboratory information systems, sample tracking systems, and equipment scheduling/status tools.
  • Familiarity with programing in a scientific programming language (e.g., Python or R).

Benefits and additional information:

The US target range of our base salary rate for new hires is $97,850 - $126,000. You will also be eligible to receive equity, cash bonuses, and a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits depending on the position offered.  Please note that individual total compensation for this position will be determined at the Company’s sole discretion and may vary based on several factors, including but not limited to, location, skill level, years and depth of relevant experience, and education. We invite you to check out our career page @ freenome.com/job-openings/ for additional company information.

Freenome is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer, and we value diversity. Freenome does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws.  

California applicants please review the CCPA Notice at Collection here:

#LI-ONSITE

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Freenome’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.