Senior Research Associate

Exthymic•San Diego, CA

5d•$70,000 - $95,000

About The Position

Exthymic is an early-stage deep-tech startup on a mission to prevent millions of cancer deaths by making curative cell therapies widely accessible. Our platform enables the manufacturing of patient-specific treatments at the point of care. Led by experienced industry pioneers, we blend hardware, software, and biochemical engineering to disrupt the status quo and democratize life-saving therapies. Join us to solve complex challenges and drive global healthcare innovation. About You You are a motivated, detail-oriented Senior Research Associate with a passion for building tools that accelerate life-saving cancer treatments. The Senior Research Associate thrives in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment and is eager to contribute to a mission-driven team and embody a balance of scientific rigor, organizational skills, time management, and an eagerness to support the development of chemical and biochemical tools for cell therapy production and selection. Have hands-on laboratory experience across multiple disciplines and a proven track record of contributing to R&D teams, coordinating with the facilities & lab operations manager to maintain lab functions, and translating experimental needs into well-documented processes.

Requirements

Scientific degree (BSc or MSc) in a relevant field such as biology, biochemistry, or chemistry, or possesses directly relevant industry experience.
Hands-on laboratory skills across at least 3 of the following: Synthetic Chemistry, Surface Chemistry, Biochemistry / Protein Engineering, Cell Culture and Cell-Based Assays, Microscopy, or Protein Expression, Purification, and Functional Validation.
Demonstrated experience in biological sample preparation and handling, including surface preparation and working with human samples and biofluids/tissues.
Proven ability to collect, analyze, interpret, and present data in a rigorous environment, including developing and documenting research protocols to optimize assays or workflows.
Strong data acquisition, analysis, and experimental tracking skills with reliable attention to detail.
Lab management experience, including reagent inventory, biosample handling, and equipment maintenance.
Team player; collaborative, transparent, and mission-driven.

Nice To Haves

Experience with imaging techniques, cell sorting, antibody-based assays, or cell-based assay development.
Background in cancer biology, cell therapeutics, GMP, neurobiology, microbiology, virology, immunotherapies, or autoimmune research.
Industry laboratory R&D experience.
Experience executing and summarizing verification, validation, and guard banding studies.
Proficiency using AI tools to accelerate lab workflows or data analysis is a plus.

Responsibilities

Conduct hands-on lab work and support chemical/biochemical tool development—work at the bench to develop, test, and refine chemical and biochemical tools used in the manufacturing and selection of cell therapies. This includes reviewing and testing designed protocols and reagent preparations, optimizing workflows and consumables for sample preparation, and ensuring that every experimental process is documented, reproducible, and ready for integration into broader manufacturing or selection pipelines.
Maintain lab operations and research records—Lab management at Exthymic depends on rigorous documentation and organization. Assist in the maintenance of R&D records, including database management, batch records, notebooks, and all other technical documentation. You will also help manage lab reagents, biosamples, specialized equipment, and lab spaces in direct support of R&D goals.
Partner with scientists to enable experimental designs and drive solutions—Be embedded with the Bioware team and cross-functional research groups to co-design experiments, execute feasibility, optimization, validation, and verification studies, and propose scientific and technical solutions when project obstacles arise. You understand that good science requires collaboration, and you know how to facilitate that effectively.
Collaborate across teams to enable R&D—Work closely with scientists within Bioware, cross-functional research teams, and operations and manufacturing teams. You are a connector — someone who keeps projects moving by making sure the right people, reagents, and protocols are in place when needed.