Research Specialist / Scientist, Assay Development

Altos Labs

$129K — $166K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelors or Masters degree with 8+ years of industry experience or a PhD with 4+ years of relevant experience in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or Pharmacology.
  • Extensive experience in designing and executing various biochemical assays including enzymatic assays and ELISAs.
  • Proficient in tissue processing methods for nucleic acids and protein QC.
  • Proven ability to design and troubleshoot assays for various therapeutic modalities including small molecules and biologics.
  • Strong scientific productivity record, capable of independent experimental design and execution.
  • Excellent documentation and communication skills, particularly in lab notebooks and presentations.
  • Effective collaborator with strong communication skills within cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

  • Execute ex vivo assays on diverse tissue samples and report findings.
  • Support biomarker discovery through collaboration with IVTS scientists.
  • Evaluate and implement new technologies to improve study efficiency and quality.
  • Maintain thorough documentation of studies to ensure data integrity.
  • Collaborate effectively with in vivo operations to ensure high-quality studies.
  • Work with cross-functional teams to advance therapeutic programs.
  • Foster a culture of professional growth, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

Benefits

  • Collaborative and inclusive work environment.
  • Emphasis on professional growth and continuous improvement.
  • Opportunity to work on innovative assays and cutting-edge technologies.
Full Job Description
What You Will Contribute To Altos

An exciting opportunity is available for a Research Specialist / Scientist to join the In Vivo Translational Sciences (IVTS) team within the Institute of Medicine (IOM) at Altos Labs. We are seeking a highly skilled, self-motivated and talented individual to generate decisional data by designing and executing ex vivo assays. The ideal candidate will bring extensive knowledge of a wide variety of in vitro and ex vivo assay methodologies and a track record of successful scientific impact in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry with demonstrated experience completing high throughput, time-sensitive assays while maintaining data quality and reproducibility.

You will be responsible for working with researchers within IVTS to develop and execute assays to characterize biomarkers and evaluate therapeutic targets. The ideal candidate brings strong conceptual and technical grounding in assay design, lead screening, and pharmacological characterization. This includes proven competency in tissue processing, assay development, optimization, dilution testing, control validation, protocol validation, managing timelines, and coordinating with cross-functional teams to achieve milestones and deliverables.

We expect you to have a strong commitment to a team-based approach, with an emphasis on collaborative success and open communication. The ideal candidate should see themselves as an integral part of a larger team, actively contributing to a supportive and inclusive environment, sharing knowledge, and working together to overcome challenges and achieve collective goals.

Responsibilities
  • Execute ex vivo assays on diverse tissues collected from in vivo studies, perform analyses, and report results.
  • Support ex vivo biological analysis (e.g., biomarker discovery) in collaboration with other IVTS scientists, Altos Hubs and cross-functional teams.
  • Evaluate and implement new technologies and platforms to enhance the efficiency and quality of studies.
  • Maintain detailed documentation of all studies in an electronic lab notebook to ensure data integrity and traceability.
  • Collaborate effectively with the in vivo operation teams to enable execution of high quality in vivo studies.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Discovery Sciences, in vitro Pharmacology, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, etc. to support the development and progression of therapeutic programs.
  • Contribute to a team culture that promotes continuous improvement, ownership, professional growth, and inclusion.
  • The responsibilities of this role are expected to require ~80% of time dedicated to benchtop science.
Who You Are

Minimum Qualifications
  • Research Specialist experience requirements: Bachelors or Masters degree and 8+ years of industry experience.
  • Scientist experience requirements: PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology or related field, with at least 4 years relevant industry experience
  • Extensive experience designing and executing biochemical and biophysical assays, including:
    • Enzymatic assays, ELISAs, MSD, AlphaLISA, Western Blots, qPCR and ddPCR
    • Assays for target engagement studies across diverse tissue and biofluid matrices
  • Extensive experience with tissue processing methods, including extraction, quantification and QC of nucleic acids and proteins
  • Demonstrated ability to design and troubleshoot assays to support diverse therapeutic modalities (e.g., small molecules, biologics, gene therapies)
  • Strong record of scientific productivity and the ability to independently design rigorous, reproducible, and generalizable experiments
  • Proficient in documenting and communicating results clearly (e.g., ELN, slide decks, team presentations)
  • Strong collaboration and communication skills; ability to work effectively within cross-functional teams

Preferred Qualifications
  • Strong conceptual grounding in pharmacological characterization
  • Experience with high-throughput screening (HTS) platforms and assay miniaturization
  • Experience with microscopy and high content imaging
  • Experience with flow cytometry
  • Experience with immunoprecipitation assays
  • Experience working on cellular or animal models relevant to age-related diseases (e.g., metabolic, neurodegenerative, immune-related, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal)

The salary range for Redwood City, CA:
  • Research Specialist: $129,500 - $166,000
  • Scientist I, Pharmacology: $131,400 - $168,400
  • Scientist II, Pharmacology: $148,400 - $190,300

Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.

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