Senior Staff Scientist – Sequencing Reagent Development
Element is recruiting a Senior Staff Scientist to lead the development of Element’s proprietary Avidity sequencing chemistry that powers the AVITI platform. This role will be responsible for research and development of surface-based biochemistry to improve sequencing performance. An ideal candidate must have a strong technical background in biochemistry and chemistry that includes experience with polymerases and modifying DNA, surface-based DNA amplification, and optimizing reaction conditions.
Role Responsibilities:
- Lead a team of scientists and associates to develop sequencing biochemistry reagents
- Define project goals, priorities, and timelines
- Investigate and resolve technical challenges and limitations to improve sequencing quality and performance
- Design, execute, and analyze experiments independently and with others
- Work closely with cross-functional leaders across the company to solve challenges using multidisciplinary approaches
- Innovate new solutions to NGS workflows including strategies for DNA sequencing, amplification on surfaces, paired-end, and indexing chemistry and biochemistry
- Develop assays to characterize and improve reagent compositions, performance, and stability using Element’s AVITI platform and surrogate assays and platforms (plate readers, fluorescent microscopes, capillary electrophoresis, HPLC, ect….)
- Build cross-functional relationships through effective communication with technical leaders across the organization to effectively solve multi-disciplinary challenges
Role Qualifications:
- Experience with enzymology and characterizing how enzymes function in biotechnology systems
- Experience with DOE and optimizing final product performance in multivariable space
- Experience working cross functionally to deliver biochemistry solutions leading to product commercialization
- Proven track record of innovation through intellectual property
- D. in biochemistry or related field with 7+ years of biotechnology industry experience
- Experience with surface-based biochemistry, polymerase-DNA interactions, NGS technologies, and data analysis including fluorescent signals generated on surfaces, and/or single molecule biophysics a plus.