Associate Scientist, Cell Culture

Element Biosciences•San Diego, CA

6h•$79,000 - $96,000•Onsite

About The Position

At Element Biosciences, we are passionate about our mission to empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity. We have built a highly efficient product-driven organization where employees can learn, grow, and thrive in a challenging but encouraging environment. We are committed to scientific integrity, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness. We are seeking an Associate Scientist, Cell Culture to support our research and development efforts in a BSL2 laboratory. This is an exciting opportunity for an individual with a strong interest in mammalian cell culture to gain hands-on experience in a dynamic lab environment. The associate scientist will be responsible for culturing, maintaining, and preparing cells for downstream applications. This role is San Diego-based and offers a great opportunity to develop expertise in cell culture techniques within a supportive research setting. If you are eager to gain hands-on experience in cell culture and contribute to impactful research, we encourage you to apply!

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or a related field
2+ years of hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture techniques in an academic or industry research setting
Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot experimental issues and exercise independent judgment with minimal supervision
Strong analytical and data interpretation skills
Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple concurrent projects
Experience working in a BSL2 lab required
Strong written and verbal communication skills

Nice To Haves

Master's degree a plus
experience presenting data to a team is a plus

Responsibilities

Independently perform and optimize mammalian cell culture workflows, including maintenance, passaging, cryopreservation, and harvesting across multiple cell lines
Design and execute experiments to prepare cells for downstream assays, adapting established protocols as needed and troubleshooting deviations
Monitor and evaluate cell growth, viability, and health using microscopy and analytical techniques; interpret results and flag anomalies proactively
Analyze and summarize experimental data, and communicate findings to the team through reports and presentations
Maintain rigorous laboratory records, including culture logs and experimental data, ensuring reproducibility and traceability
Contribute to the development and refinement of SOPs and best practices for cell culture operations
Ensure proper handling and disposal of biological materials in accordance with BSL2 safety guidelines
Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D scientists to align culture outputs with project timelines and requirements
Assist with general lab operations, including inventory management, equipment maintenance, and mentoring junior lab staff as needed