Associate Scientist – Biology II

Job Description

Job Summary:

• Looking for a hands-on downstream bioprocess professional to join our Client Labs in Foster City.
• You’ll help execute pilot-scale purification runs, troubleshoot in real time, and support biologics programs from development through scale-up and technology transfer.

Duties and Responsiblities:

• Plan and execute downstream purification runs, including clarification, chromatography, TFF, and viral filtration, in a schedule-driven pilot environment.
• Prepare buffers and reagents; set up, operate, clean, and tear down pilot-scale and single-use equipment.
• Pack and unpack chromatography columns, operate ÄKTA systems, and use UNICORN methods for run execution.
• Document work in SOPs, batch records, run sheets, and summaries; capture observations and deviations clearly.
• Monitor process performance, interpret data, troubleshoot during runs, and communicate findings to cross-functional partners.
• Support process scale-up, comparability activities, technology transfer, lab readiness, and occasional weekend or extended-hour coverage.

Required Qualification:

• AA/AS degree with more than 4 years of relevant industry experience in downstream purification or bioprocessing; or BS/BE in chemical or biochemical engineering, biochemistry, biology, or a related discipline with more than 2 years of relevant experience.
• Hands-on pilot-scale downstream bioprocess experience.
• Experience with downstream purification operations such as chromatography, TFF, viral filtration, depth filtration, centrifugation, and buffer preparation.
• Experience operating ÄKTA systems and working with UNICORN; chromatography column operation experience is strongly relevant.
• Clear technical communication, documentation, organization, and collaborative problem-solving skills.
• Your broader experience can come from bench, pilot, or manufacturing settings; hands-on pilot-scale work is the one must-have.

Preferred Qualifications:

• End-to-end purification process execution rather than experience with only one unit operation.
• Biologics pilot plant, manufacturing support, technology transfer, or GMP-adjacent experience.
• Experience with single-use facilities, controlled documentation, process scale-up, or comparability activities.
• Flexibility to support occasional weekend or extended-hour run coverage.