Contract Research Associate / Senior Research Associate

5AM Ventures•Berkeley, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At Renasant Bio, we are driven by a singular goal: to change what’s possible for patients with kidney disease. ADPKD remains one of the most challenging areas in medicine, and we believe it requires bold thinking, rigorous science, and a team committed to doing things differently. We’re looking for individuals who bring both scientific rigor and creativity to hard problems, and who believe great work is built through respectful, direct collaboration. You communicate with honesty and transparency, adapt quickly as priorities evolve, and hold yourself—and others—to a high standard. Above all, you operate with urgency and purpose, grounded in the knowledge that patients are waiting. Based at Bakar Labs in Berkeley, CA, we are advancing new therapies designed to make a meaningful difference for patients. We are seeking a highly motivated Contract Research Associate / Senior Research Associate with strong hands-on expertise in mammalian tissue culture and cell line generation to support our Early Discovery Biology team. This is a bench-focused role critical to enabling our discovery pipeline through the generation, maintenance, and characterization of robust cell models. The ideal candidate is highly organized, technically strong in tissue culture, and comfortable working in a fast-moving startup environment with evolving priorities.

Requirements

BS or MS in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, or related field
3+ years (RA) or 5+ years (Senior RA) of hands-on mammalian cell culture experience
Demonstrated expertise in aseptic technique and mammalian cell line maintenance
Experience generating stable cell lines (transfection/transduction, selection, clonal expansion)
Experience with cell counting, viability assessment, and cryopreservation
Strong troubleshooting, organizational, and communication skills
Ability to work independently in a fast-paced team environment

Nice To Haves

Biotech industry experience
Familiarity with molecular biology techniques (RNA prep, protein prep)
Experience with protein characterization methods (Western blot, immunostaining, flow cytometry)

Responsibilities

Independently perform mammalian tissue culture, including cell maintenance, expansion, passaging, cryopreservation, and cell banking
Generate and characterize stable mammalian cell lines, including pooled and clonal populations
Execute cell engineering workflows including transfection/transduction, antibiotic selection, and clone expansion
Support cell-based assays and experimental workflows across discovery programs
Monitor cell health, troubleshoot culture issues, and ensure consistent high-quality cell supply
Maintain accurate experimental records and support protocol optimization
Manage tissue culture reagents, inventory, and general lab organization
Collaborate closely with scientists across biology to support project timelines and deliverables