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Staff Scientist (Scientist 3) – Protein Conjugation & Flow Cytometry

Emeryville, CA

Our north star is to make healthcare more accessible around the world. We are doing this by advancing cell biology to develop innovative solutions for human health.

Founded in 2012, and located in one of the largest biotech hubs in the world, Slingshot Biosciences is a growing life sciences company with a platform technology and paradigm-shifting mission to make synthetic cells the gold standard for all cell-based applications.  We currently have a suite of products that allow for rapid, stable instrument deployment and are poised to make headway into clinical markets with controls for engineered cell therapies.

At Slingshot, we value diversity and believe that a variety of backgrounds and experiences leads to more innovative ideas and a better understanding of our customers. Passion is at the core of our values, and employees are encouraged to pursue their passions in their work and contribute to the company's overall mission.

We desire motivated team members who appreciate the freedom to be creative and think outside the box to solve problems.  We offer an environment where employees are empowered to take ownership of their work, and have the ability to quickly contribute new ideas and iterate on current processes.  In everything we do, we are dedicated to delivering top-quality products and services to our customers which ultimately makes a significant impact on patient care.

The Staff Scientist (Scientist 3), Protein Chemistry role will report to the Director of Biochemistry. They will join our team and help in the production of biochemically modified synthetic cells for the development of both custom and/or catalog products. They will also facilitate the transfer of our products from R&D to process development and manufacturing. To be successful, the Staff Scientist, Protein Chemistry will need experience in protein conjugation, working with various types of bioconjugation chemistries and understanding of both biochemistry and how to handle proteins. Familiarity with flow cytometry is preferred for product QC. This role will be a management and leadership position, and the candidates should have experience with managing direct reports, and be excited about bringing innovation and new ideas to the team. The Staff Scientist, Protein Chemistry should be comfortable writing technical reports and analyses of findings, with the goal of leading development projects and reporting and presenting results clearly to management and external stakeholders. This position will be on-site in Emeryville, CA. We are a small but growing team, and the applicant must be comfortable in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Self-motivated and driven applicants of all experience levels are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

  • Contribute to R&D efforts in the biochemistry group, with a focus on development of products intended for flow cytometry applications. This work will be supporting the production of our custom products pipeline.
    • Protein conjugation related product development work
    • Antibody panel design for Flow Cytometry based assays 
    • Flow cytometry assays on different conventional and spectral flow cytometry instrumentation
  • Employ bioconjugation techniques to various biomarkers of interest for the development of synthetic cells and suggest new ideas to improve ongoing conjugation work.
  • Do deep dives of literature to determine the best experimental plans based on precedent, and independently drive and troubleshoot projects with your direct report(s).
  • Help develop and test new products addressing customer needs in the cell therapy and diagnostics space, and represent the biochemistry team at the project meetings.
  • Designing experiments to pressure test protocols to ensure their robustness. Diligent and detailed record keeping of experimental protocols.
  • Transfer protocols and SOPs to the process development and manufacturing groups as needed
  • Work in the lab on independent projects while also managing a direct report who will support those projects
    • Lead projects and drive innovation
    • Train and mentor direct reports 
    • Assign projects, plan their experiments and support troubleshooting while working on your own research projects and managing timelines
    • Report team’s progress to management 

Requirements

  • Ph.D. in a relevant field with 6-8 years of industry experience, or equivalent 
  • Background in biochemistry, protein chemistry, chemical biology, molecular biology, or an equivalent field
  • Experience with management and mentorship while also working on their own experimental projects
  • Experience with conjugation chemistry
  • Experience with flow cytometry 
  • Experience with protein purification and basic molecular biology is nice to have
  • Able to multitask, prioritize and manage time effectively.
  • Strong communication and presentation skills

Nice to have

  • Understanding of relevant steps of gene-to- protein process, including construct design, molecular cloning, protein expression, purification, and characterization (bacterial and/or mammalian systems)
  • Experience in developing and optimizing purification protocols for different recombinant proteins (with and without affinity tags) using various chromatographic methods (affinity, IEX, SEC, etc) and purification systems (e.g., AKTA)
  • Understanding or interest in the cell therapy and diagnostics space
 
Our salary ranges are calculated by role and level. Your position within that range will be determined by your job-related knowledge, skills, experience, relevant education, and training/certifications. In addition to those factors, we also examine internal equity as well as consider current market rate, and title may be assessed one level lower or higher accordingly. After you join the company your performance, contributions, and results along with business and organizational needs will affect your base salary. The base salary range for this full-time position is between $145,000 - $185,000 + equity + benefits.

What we offer at Slingshot:

  • Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
  • Retirement Plan (401k)
  • Stock Option Plan
  • Paid Time Off (Vacation & Sick)
  • Family Leave
  • Life Insurance
  • Fully stocked break room with food, snacks and beverages

Slingshot Biosciences requires employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation. Proof of such vaccination will be required as part of the hiring process.

Slingshot Biosciences is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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

 

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