Senior or Staff Scientist, Technology and Application Development

Countable Labs • Palo Alto, CA

4d

About The Position

At Countable Labs, we’re reimagining the future of genomics—and we’d love for you to be a part of it! As the innovators behind our groundbreaking Countable PCR platform, we’re building tools that make a real impact in precision medicine. We’re a fast-growing startup fueled by innovation, collaboration, and a mission-driven spirit. If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, build something from the ground up, and help shape the future of genomics, we want you on our team! Role Overview This role works directly with the CTO to develop new applications on the Countable platform, spanning innovative assay concepts for liquid biopsy and extending into novel application areas beyond nucleic acid counting. The individual will own high-impact, early-stage technology development projects that feed directly into Countable’s product development pipeline. This position is ideal for PhD scientists who enjoy working hands-on with cutting-edge tools and building new applications on emerging platforms—someone who likes to tinker, thinks creatively, and can take an idea from concept through implementation, experimental validation, data analysis, and execution to the finish line. Success in this role requires strong wet-lab proficiency paired with bioinformatics and quantitative analysis skills.

Requirements

• PhD earned within the last 10 years in Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Biology, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong interdisciplinary training with a demonstrated track record in tool development, complex assay development, and/or translational application development.
• Proven ability to independently derive, design, and implement innovative scientific concepts from early feasibility through experimental validation.
• Highly versatile and resourceful experimentalist with broad wet-lab expertise, strong troubleshooting skills, and the ability to iterate rapidly in a fast-paced environment.
• Hands-on experience with quantitative nucleic acid analysis workflows, including at minimum NGS sample preparation and library preparation methods;
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with demonstrated ability to develop and program bioinformatics and data analysis workflows for complex, multidimensional datasets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly present technical findings to both scientific and non-scientific stakeholders.
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability, with demonstrated ability to drive projects from concept through execution and completion while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing precision genomic applications—such as liquid biopsy assays (cfDNA, cfRNA) and/or minimal residual disease (MRD) workflows—is strongly preferred.
• experience with dPCR and multiplex PCR assay design is highly preferred.
• Additional experience in protein and/or cell-based assays is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own early-stage technology development and application projects from concept through feasibility, with a focus on translational and clinical use cases.
• Drive end-to-end project execution as an individual contributor, including project planning, timeline management, experimental design, hands-on execution, and multivariable data analysis and interpretation.
• Partner closely with the product development team to transition validated applications through phase gates and into downstream productization.
• Coordinate and collaborate with external partners to demonstrate utility, generate validation data, for newly developed assays and technology concepts.
• Present technical results and application workflows through webinars, conferences, and other scientific forums.
• Author scientific content including abstracts, manuscripts, application notes, and technical documentation.
• Serve as an internal power user of the Countable platform, proactively providing feedback on new features, identifying usability gaps, and proposing new capabilities for the Countable platform.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree