Research Specialist / Sr Scientist, Assay Sciences, Discovery Pharmacology

Altos Labs • San Francisco, CA

2d

About The Position

Our mission is to restore cell health and resilience through cell rejuvenation to reverse disease, injury, and the disabilities that can occur throughout life. Altos Labs has been named one of the Top 3 Biotech Companies and ranked for the second year on the Forbes 2026 Best Startups in America list. At Altos, exceptional scientists and industry leaders from around the world work together to advance a shared mission. Our intentional focus is on Belonging, so that all employees know that they are valued for their unique perspectives. We are all accountable for sustaining a diverse and inclusive environment. What You Will Contribute To Altos At Altos, your work will be at the heart of a mission to transform medicine by reversing disease and restoring cell health. You will contribute to the development of a new generation of drugs rooted in an advanced understanding of cellular rejuvenation and resilience. As a Research Specialist or Sr Scientist of Assay Sciences, Discovery Pharmacology team, your primary focus will be supporting the needs of development and operation of a wide range of analytical and bioassays within the Drug Discovery and Development (3DS) division of Altos. This is a laboratory research scientist position focused on the development and execution of cell-based and biochemical assays, and complex in vitro bioassays. Your work will contribute to our drug discovery campaigns across a diverse portfolio of discovery and development stage projects. Your expertise will be instrumental in driving our mission and making a significant impact in aging/rejuvenation biology and drug discovery.

Requirements

• Research Specialist: Bachelors or Masters degree and 8+ years of industry experience.
• Sr Scientist: PhD and 6+ years post-PhD, PLUS 3+ years of industry experience.
• Proficiency in developing and running a wide variety of analytical and bioassays.
• Familiarity with cutting-edge assay technologies such as MSD, HTRF, AlphaLISA.
• Expertise with lab automation equipment (e.g., Bravo, Echo, I.DOT, Digital Dispenser).
• Experience with high-content imaging in high-throughput (96- and 384-well) formats.
• Ability to work productively and meet deadlines.
• Experience documenting experiments in an ELN.
• Proven experience managing external CROs.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills; ability to multitask.
• SME / emerging leader in a technical field with sustained performance and accomplishment.
• Strong demonstrable expert knowledge of a specialized research area with a wide breadth of knowledge beyond a research specialty.
• Ability to apply excellent professional judgment and high proficiency in applying all skills and techniques relevant to lab/hub research projects.

Responsibilities

• Developing, running, and optimizing analytical and bioassays (cell-based, biochemical, complex in vitro).
• Automating manual assays to create efficient, high-throughput screening processes.
• Ensuring assay scalability and statistical validity (e.g., Z’-factor).
• Developing new assays from scratch (de novo development).
• Documenting experiments in an electronic lab notebook (ELN) for data integrity.
• Collaborating with other teams, including Discovery Sciences and the Institute of Computation and Product Development.
• Serving as a technical lead for the assay sciences team.
• Managing external research partners (CROs) and ensuring data quality.

Benefits

• Collaboration and scientific excellence
• Culture of belonging
• Focus on Belonging, ensuring employees feel valued for their unique perspectives
• Accountability for sustaining a diverse and inclusive environment
• Equal employment opportunities
• Scientific innovation and inquiry

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level