Senior Research Associate - NGS Development

About Freenome 

Freenome is a high-growth biotech company on a mission since 2014 to create tools that empower everyone to prevent, detect, and treat their disease.  To achieve this mission, Freenome is developing next-generation blood tests to detect cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages using our multiomics platform and machine learning techniques. Our first blood test will detect early-stage colorectal cancer and advanced adenomas.

About the Role

At Freenome, you will help develop the assay technologies used to analyze patient samples and contribute to our mission of early detection and intervention in human disease. As a Senior Research Associate, you will provide experience in next-generation-sequencing (NGS)-based analyses of DNA and RNA. Starting with a prototype assay, you will contribute to developing and validating clinical-grade assays to measure complex, blood-based analytes (e.g., whole-genome sequencing of cfDNA). You will work closely with multiple teams including research team, process engineers, computational science team, and clinical operations to develop the assays in a regulated, high-throughput environment as well as identify ways to rapidly iterate and improve on existing methods to evaluate technologies that can enhance our end-to-end test performance.

How you’ll contribute:

• Apply knowledge of molecular biology, nucleic-acid biochemistry, and next-generation sequencing to develop assays for DNA and RNA, including genome-wide and targeted approaches
• Characterize automated assays by generating and analyzing experimental data
• Gather high-quality data, take detailed notes, and openly communicate on lessons learned while performing experiments.
• Collaborate with development team and  computational biologists analyze data and generate study conclusions
• Collaborate with clinical laboratory members to transition development protocols into production, including automation, validation experiments, and SOP development.
• Present data in cross functional teams
• Contribute to study protocols and reports

What you’ll bring: 

• Bachelors with 5+ years of industry experience or Masters with 3+ years of industry experience in molecular biology, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience in NGS based assay development including sample preparation, library preparation, target capture, and sequencing
• Familiarity with programing in a scientific programming language (e.g., Python or R) 
• Experience with automated platforms in plate-based, low-volume formats and/or microfluidics and experience working with automated liquid handlers.
• Biological understanding of human cell-free nucleic acids, single-cell analysis methods, immunology, and/or cancer biology.
• Experience working in a regulated laboratory environment (CLIA, GLP/GCLP, IVD development).
• Clear communications skills and ability to work with team members in the same and adjacent disciplines
• Sense of humor is a must.

COVID safety:

As a condition of employment, you agree to know and comply with our COVID-19 vaccination policy requiring all employees who work on-site and/or attend work-related events to be fully vaccinated and to receive a COVID-19 booster once eligible. Company employees working on-site are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and to receive a COVID-19 booster once eligible, unless a reasonable accommodation is approved or as otherwise required by law. Absent a reasonable accommodation or legal exception, you agree to provide proof of your vaccination status and to be fully vaccinated by your first day on-site, in accordance with our policy.  If you are currently eligible for a COVID-19 booster, you also agree to provide proof of having received a booster.  If you are not yet eligible for a COVID-19 booster, you must provide proof of receiving a booster within two weeks of becoming eligible.

Freenome is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. Freenome does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

Funding

We have raised more than $1.1B from leading investors including Perceptive Advisors, RA Capital Management, Roche Venture Fund, Kaiser Permanente, Novartis and the American Cancer Society’s BrightEdge Ventures. 

Freenomers

A ‘Freenomer’ is a mission-driven employee who is fueled by the opportunity to make a positive impact on patients' lives, who thrives in a culture of respect and cross collaboration, and whose work makes a significant impact on the company and their career. 

Freenomers are technical, creative, visionary, grounded, empathetic and passionate. We build teams around divergent expertise, allowing us to solve problems and ascertain opportunities in unique ways. Freenomers are some of the most talented experts in their fields, joining together to advance healthcare, one breakthrough at a time. 

Benefits include but are not limited to:

• Competitive compensation 
• Pre-IPO equity
• Flexible PTO (exempt) and generous PTO (non-exempt) 
• Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, dental, and vision 
• Wellness and mental health resources, including Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), Paid maternity and paternity leave
• 401(k) plan 
• $250.00 new hire stipend to enhance your home office experience
• Plus, a variety of other perks, including pre-tax commuter benefits, two paid volunteer days per year, pet insurance, and additional discounts 

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Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws.  

• Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

• Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)

Notice to agencies:

Our in-house Talent Acquisition Team manages all employment opportunities at Freenome.  Agencies and independent recruiters must be approved as a vendor by Freenome’s Talent Acquisition team before submitting candidates to any Freenome employee. 

We do not accept unsolicited resumes or biographies from agencies under any circumstances. Any unsolicited resumes sent to Freenome, including those sent to a Freenome email address or directly to Freenome employees, will be considered Freenome property. Freenome will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Freenome will consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Agency free of any charges or fees. 

Please do not contact Freenome employees directly. Compliance with this request will impact our decision to work with you. 

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