Clinical Laboratory Associate II

Karius•Redwood City, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Laboratory Associate II (CLA II) is an enthusiastic, self-motivated individual with great communication skills. Along with the duties described below, this individual performs sample receiving and accessioning, performs routine preventive equipment and instrument maintenance, and assists in the performance of high complexity laboratory testing on patient specimens under the direct supervision of a CLS. The CLA II must demonstrate a high level of individual responsibility and accountability and possess the ability to perform to the requirements listed below. The CLA II must be comfortable in a rapidly evolving Biotech start-up environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Biological science or similar field required.
3+ (three) years of clinical laboratory experience, with 2+ (two) years of pertinent industry experience and increasing levels of responsibility within a molecular biology laboratory.
Demonstrated ability to manage projects independently, or with minimal supervision.
Demonstrates personal accountability of assigned work and processes, consistently delivering results with quality, consistency, and attention to detail.
Recognizes, communicates, and escalates issues, risks, or deviations in a timely and transparent manner.
Adapts effectively to changing priorities and operational demands in a dynamic laboratory environment.
Demonstrates awareness of how individual responsibilities impact adjacent workflows and overall laboratory operations.
Demonstrates curiosity and learning agility, seeking to understand broader laboratory processes beyond immediate tasks and remaining open to feedback, coaching, and continuous skill development.
Maintains a collaborative, respectful, and team-oriented approach to daily operations.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience with Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) preferred.
Knowledge of aseptic techniques used in a microbiology laboratory is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Under supervision of licensed personnel, perform high complexity testing for commercial samples in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and laboratory SOPs.
For non-commercial or clinical study samples, perform routine molecular test procedures including specimen processing, nucleic acid extraction, quantitative analysis, PCR, library construction, sequencing, and data analysis.
Receive, unpackage, and accession inbound samples per relevant SOPs; collaborate with the customer support team to obtain information necessary to complete the accessioning process.
Prepare samples for processing in accordance with good laboratory practices and established contamination control procedures.
Operate high-throughput integrated automation workstations and utilize laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and other infrastructure software in the performance of job duties
Perform and document routine preventive maintenance for laboratory equipment and instruments.
Support regulatory compliance through adherence to laboratory policies and procedures, and accurately document work performed.
Flag SOPs for update; author or revise laboratory SOPs as directed.
Identify, escalate, and support process improvement initiatives as appropriate.
Provide training and support to junior or new laboratory staff as assigned.
Perform all delegated activities as assigned in support of established timelines and quality standards.
Perform additional duties as assigned by supervisory or laboratory leadership personnel
In addition to those listed above, perform all duties and responsibilities of the CLA I position.