Research Associate / Senior Research Associate, Cell Culture

What We're Looking For

We are hiring a hands-on Research Associate to Senior Research Associate to support stem cell culture and neuronal differentiation for an active therapeutic program. The primary work centers on maintaining pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) cultures and differentiating them into disease-relevant neuronal cell types to support disease modeling and downstream assay work.

We seek someone with an excellent set of hands with a strong track record for clean, reproducible bench work and rigorous aseptic technique. It is a demanding, fast-paced environment with shifting priorities and frequent new asks, and it offers meaningful contribution to patient-directed science and broad exposure to a growing organization.

What You'll Own

• Maintain and expand pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) cultures with strong aseptic technique and contamination control.
• Differentiate iPSCs into neuronal cell types (e.g., neural progenitor cells, neurons, and other disease-relevant neuronal lineages) to support disease modeling.
• Perform sterile cell-culture media preparation and support routine, traditional (2D) cell-culture workflows.
• Prepare sterile media aliquots for scheduled daily cell-culture feeds.
• Reconstitute growth factors and small molecules according to established differentiation and maintenance protocols.
• Manage inventory of raw materials and completed reagents, and support laboratory upkeep to maintain uninterrupted workflows aligned with project timelines and program goals.
• Closely adhere to batch records and protocols for media, reagent preparation, and differentiation timelines.
• Maintain rigorous experimental records, culture QC, and data organization in an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) and/or written batch records to support a rapidly iterating program.
• Contribute to culture and differentiation protocol scale-up, optimization, and process refinement as capabilities expand.
• Support imaging and microscopy-based readouts on a secondary basis.
• Assure compliance with all relevant laboratory safety and biosafety regulations.
• Adapt to changing priorities and occasional weekend work in a fast-paced, on-site setting.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in cell biology, stem cell biology, molecular biology, neuroscience, biotechnology, or a related life science field. An advanced degree is not required.
• 2 to 4 years of hands-on laboratory experience in cell culture and assay development.
• Hands-on experience with routine pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) culture, particularly iPSC maintenance and/or differentiation.
• Demonstrated proficiency in sterile cell-culture technique, including media preparation and cell harvesting.
• Strong documentation, data organization, and quality practices, with a proven contamination-control track record.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills, with consistent adherence to protocols.
• Ability to manage time efficiently across multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work full-time on-site and thrive in a flexible, high-pace environment, including occasional weekend work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience differentiating pluripotent stem cells into neuronal cell types (neurons, neural progenitor cells, or other neural lineages) for disease modeling.
• Neuroscience background or exposure to neuro-focused models.
• Microscopy and fluorescence imaging experience.
• Prior industry experience in startup.
• Clear communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a team setting.
• Experience processing and analyzing molecular endpoints (nucleic acid, protein, etc…).

Behavioral Essentials

• Execute independently from loosely specified tasks
• Ask for help only when truly blocked, communicating clearly what's needed
• Thrive in early-stage, ambiguous, high-pace environments
• Mission-driven with genuine care for patient impact