Research Specialist II

Princeton University • Princeton, NJ

5h

About The Position

This position supports a cloning-heavy research lab by performing routine and complex plasmid assembly workflows. The technician is responsible for taking construct designs from lab members and independently building, validating, and delivering sequence-confirmed plasmids for downstream research use. In addition to bench work, the technician will manage reagent ordering, inventory control, and workflow planning to keep cloning operations running efficiently. In this role the technician will also build an internal lab operations infrastructure, including systems for end-to-end workflow tracking, sample traceability, and inventory control across raw materials, works-in-progress, and finished goods. Finally, they will maintain clear and organized records of all cloning projects to ensure traceability and reproducibility across the lab’s research portfolio.

Requirements

• A MSc in molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related field
• Strong hands-on lab experience with multi-step experimental workflows and knowledge of cloning techniques
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to track and execute parallel workflows
• Proven attention to detail in sample handling, labeling and record-keeping, ensuring full traceability and reproducibility of experimental work
• Interest and experience in managing inventory systems including maintaining stock levels, tracking usage, demand forecasting, and ensuring operational continuity

Nice To Haves

• Willing to develop skills beyond the bench, including process design, inventory and supply planning, and operations management
• Familiarity with cloning design tools such as Benchling or SnapGene
• Comfortable with repetitive bench work while maintaining high accuracy
• Persistent and solutions-oriented when experiments fail
• Eager to learn and develop new techniques, tools, and workflows

Responsibilities

• Plasmid construction and validation:
• - Receive plasmid designs from lab members and set up an end-to-end assembly workflow
• - Perform standard biochemical manipulations associated with cloning such as PCR and DNA assembly reactions
• - Interpret plasmid sequencing results to verify correct assembly
• Project coordination and workflow management
• - Coordinate cloning priorities across multiple lab projects
• - Plan experimental workflows to optimize throughput and turnaround time
• - Track progress of all ongoing projects and communicate status updates to lab members
• - Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of internal lab processes, including workflow automation and end-to-end plasmid tracking
• Reagent ordering and inventory management
• - Manage ordering of primers, enzymes, kits, and other cloning reagents
• - Maintain inventory of cloning materials and ensure availability of critical supplies to avoid workflow interruptions
• - Build and maintain systems for inventory management, data organization, and demand forecasting

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees