Discovery Associate Scientist

MMQCI•Saco, ME

3d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Discovery Associate Scientist, you will be at the bench every day, supporting early-stage molecular biology and molecular diagnostics projects. You will work side-by-side with Discovery Scientists, running experiments, testing new ideas, and helping turn early concepts into real technologies. This is a hands-on role for someone who loves the lab and wants to grow by learning new methods, taking initiative, and contributing ideas.

Requirements

B.S. in biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, chemistry, or a related field with experience in Molecular Biology research.
Hands-on experience with core molecular biology techniques (pipetting, reagent prep, amplification, electrophoresis, and nucleic acid extraction) from coursework and research lab experience, internships, or prior work.
Innate curiosity, coupled with the drive and initiative needed to satisfy it.
A team-oriented attitude, strong communication skills, and enthusiasm for learning from and collaborating with experienced scientists.
Strong attention to detail, careful documentation habits, and the ability to follow SOPs while also helping refine them.
Comfortable using basic software tools (e.g., Excel or equivalent) for data handling and simple calculations.

Responsibilities

Perform a wide range of molecular biology techniques (e.g., buffer and reagent prep, nucleic acid extraction, plasmid prep, in vitro transcription, PCR/qPCR/dPCR, and related techniques) to support feasibility and exploratory projects.
Run carefully designed experiments under the direction of Discovery Scientists, record your work in detail, and help organize, interpret, present data so the team can quickly decide on next steps.
Learn and adopt new technologies and protocols as the Discovery group evaluates innovative tools and methods.
Contribute to daily lab operations, including reagent prep, routine laboratory cleaning, dishes, and chores, inventory management, and basic equipment checks, keeping the Discovery lab running smoothly.