Senior Scientist - Assay Development

Guardant Health • Palo Alto, CA

13h • Hybrid

About The Position

Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant® is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. The Assay Development Team is seeking a highly motivated scientist to develop novel technologies for cancer detection and profiling in a regulated environment. The ideal candidate is passionate about data analysis and troubleshooting and is a team player who excels in a cross-functional environment. In the Assay Development team, you will collaborate cross-functionally with members from research, bioinformatics, process engineering, operations, and software. You will lead and analyze studies to further the development of automated molecular assays for the early detection, treatment and monitoring of all cancer types. An ideal candidate has a strong foundation in molecular and nucleic acid biology, with experience developing automated NGS assays on automated platforms in a regulated environment. Experience with non-nucleic acid bioanalytes is also desirable.

Requirements

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Genomics, Biochemistry or related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of 5-8 years of industry experience developing and validating diagnostic assays.
• Strong foundation in molecular biology techniques including sample preparation for NGS and other molecular biology workflows.
• Experience developing assays optimized for implementation on automated liquid handling platforms.
• Quantitative/analytical mindset - ability to segment complex problems into fundamental parts/basic principles, develop models and experimental tests for those models, and synthesize results into actionable solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to organize, document and communicate scientific data.
• Consummate team player: demonstrated ability to thrive in an environment where numerous contributions are required to accomplish complex goals.
• Enjoy working independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment and are able to adapt to changing priorities.
• Curiosity, drive, and sense of humor.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing products under design control
• Experience with data science and statistical analysis tools in Python and/or R
• Familiarity with oncology or cancer biology
• AI & Digital Fluency: Demonstrate curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to critically evaluate and responsibly leverage AI-enabled tools in accordance with company policies, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of work.

Responsibilities

• Develop, test, validate, and improve NGS-based automated assays for oncology and cancer screening diagnostics.
• Explore and implement new technologies to drive assay innovation and workflow optimization.
• Integrate analytical tools and experimental design to evaluate performance in a high throughput sequencing sample preparation and specimen handling workflow.
• Collaborate across teams to solve development challenges, improve existing NGS workstreams, and propose/implement solutions.
• Operate molecular biology laboratory equipment, including automated liquid handlers, quantitation instruments, thermal cyclers, and NGS instruments.
• Present data, write technical reports and protocols, and communicate findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Train and support junior team members.
• Demonstrate strong commitment to delivering results in a fast-paced, dynamic environment at Guardant Health.

Benefits

• Guardant has defined days for in-person/onsite collaboration and work-from-home days for individual-focused time.
• Flexibility for better work-life balance while keeping teams connected to advance our science for our patients.

What This Job Offers

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