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Research Associate II - R&D

USA - South San Francisco, CA

Research Associate II (Onsite in South San Francisco) 

Job Description

The R&D team at Twist is searching for a curious, thoughtful, and driven individual with excellent lab hands to help us develop new products and applications in the Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) space.  Leveraging our silicon-based, massively-parallel DNA synthesis platform, you will conduct laboratory studies to develop, improve, and troubleshoot our latest NGS products.  In this position, you will have the opportunity to work on leading-edge products for genomics, diagnostics, and personalized medicine. 

First and foremost, we are looking for someone with a scientist’s mindset.  Creativity, critical thinking, careful experimental execution, and a desire to learn deep technical details are a must. 

As Research Associate II, you will work on new product development and existing process improvement. Your work will be mainly at the bench, however, you will have the opportunity to use high-throughput robotic instruments as well as bioinformatics tools to expand your expertise. You will work alongside and learn from some of the best scientists and bioinformaticians in the business.

Key responsibilities:

  • Design and perform experiments in collaboration with scientists and bioinformaticians, under aggressive timelines
  • Evaluate, optimize and troubleshoot NGS-based workflows and assays to improve performance
  • Document experimental designs and results; keep excellent records and data
  • Analyze experimental data to provide recommendations for the next experimental steps
  • Present and communicate experimental results to multidisciplinary team members
  • Support the larger R&D team in various lab/day-to-day operations and activities across the board

 Requirements:

  • S. with 2-3 years or M.S. with 1-2 years of experience in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry or a closely-related field
  • Must have strong background in molecular biology techniques and hands-on experience with methods for manipulating and analyzing nucleic acids (e.g. DNA/RNA extraction, purification and quantification, PCR, enzymatic assays, hybridization and primer design)
  • Hands-on experience with NGS and NGS applications (e.g. library preparation, target enrichment, sequencing and sequencing data analysis)
  • High attention to detail. Ability to identify problems and use a combination of knowledge, intuition, and experience to solve problems in a timely manner
  • Self-motivated and passionate about your work
  • Excellent interdisciplinary communication skills required
  • Willing and able to grow with a fast-paced, highly-collaborative, multidisciplinary team

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Industry experience, especially involving massively-parallel sequencing technologies and/or target enrichment
  • Fundamental background in dPCR, ddPCR or qPCR is preferred
  • Bioinformatics and programming skills (python, R, shell scripting)
  • Experience with liquid handling systems and automation tools
  • Familiarity and/or interest in either liquid biopsy and/or LIMS system a plus.

About Twist Bioscience

Twist Bioscience synthesizes genes from scratch, known as “writing” DNA. Just as children learn to both read and write, the next phase of development for the genomics revolution is the ability to write DNA.

At Twist Bioscience, we work in service of people who are changing the world for the better. In fields such as health care, agriculture, industrial chemicals and data storage, our unique silicon-based DNA Synthesis Platform provides precision at a scale that is otherwise unavailable to our customers.

Twist Bioscience Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Twist Bioscience Corporation provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic characteristics, or any other category protected by law.

The base cash compensation for this California-based role is below. In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for bonus, equity, and a generous benefits package. Final compensation amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate skill, experience, expertise, and location and may vary from the amount listed above. Compensation may be different in other locations.

San Francisco Bay Area Pay Range

$89,038 - $104,664 USD

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