Sr. Clinical Laboratory Associate

Karius • Redwood City, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Sr. Clinical Laboratory Associate (Sr. CLA) is an enthusiastic, self-motivated individual with great communication skills. Along with the duties described below, this individual leads and organizes efforts around sample receiving and accessioning, performance of routine preventive equipment and instrument maintenance, and provides assistance in the performance of high complexity laboratory testing on patient specimens under the direct supervision of a CLS. The Sr. CLA must demonstrate an exceptional level of individual accountability and possess the ability to perform the requirements listed below. The Sr. CLA must be comfortable in a rapidly evolving Biotech start-up environment.

Karius aims to conquer infectious diseases through innovations around genomic sequencing and machine learning. The company’s platform is already delivering unprecedented insights into the microbial landscape, providing clinicians with a comprehensive test capable of identifying more than a thousand pathogens directly from blood, and helping industry accelerate the development of therapeutic solutions. The products Karius offers today are some of the most advanced solutions available to physicians who aim to deliver better care to many otherwise ineffectively treated patients. Our tests are the result of some incredible work done by our scientists, statisticians, engineers, and physicians, all driven by the same mission. You, as part of the Karius team, will be able to see how directly your work has a life-changing impact on people, and at scale.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Biological science or similar field required.
• 5+ (five) years of clinical laboratory experience, with 4+ (four) years of pertinent industry experience and increasing levels of responsibility within a molecular biology laboratory
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects independently, or with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrates personal accountability and ownership of assigned work and processes, consistently delivering results with quality, consistency, and attention to detail
• Proactively identifies, communicates, and escalates issues, risks, or deviations in a timely and transparent manner
• Adapts effectively to changing priorities and operational demands in a dynamic laboratory environment
• Demonstrates awareness of how individual responsibilities impact upstream and downstream laboratory operations
• Serves as a knowledgeable resource to peers, providing guidance and support to junior laboratory personnel
• Demonstrates curiosity and learning agility, seeking to understand laboratory processes beyond immediate scope and remaining open to feedback, coaching, and continuous skill development
• Maintains a collaborative, respectful, and team-oriented approach to daily operations

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience with Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) preferred.
• Knowledge of aseptic techniques used in a microbiology laboratory is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Under supervision of licensed personnel, perform high complexity testing for commercial samples in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and laboratory SOPs.
• For non-commercial or clinical study samples, perform routine molecular test procedures including specimen processing, nucleic acid extraction, quantitative analysis, PCR, library construction, sequencing, and data analysis.
• Support operational lab staff with sample receiving and accessioning per relevant standard operating procedures (SOPs); serve as primary point of contact with the customer support team to obtain information necessary to complete the accessioning process.
• Prepare samples for processing in accordance with good laboratory practices and established contamination control procedures.
• Operate high-throughput integrated automation workstations and utilize laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and other infrastructure software in the performance of job duties
• Coordinates directly with the procurement department to ensure reagents and materials are available, qualified, and supplied to the laboratory for optimal performance of daily workflow. Assists in ordering and identification of alternative suppliers as necessary.
• Perform and document routine preventive maintenance for laboratory equipment and instruments.
• Support regulatory compliance through adherence to laboratory policies and procedures, and accurately document work performed.
• Author and revise laboratory SOPs with minimal direction, ensuring applicable regulatory requirements are reflected in controlled documents.
• Identify, escalate, and lead process improvement initiatives; monitor and report on post-implementation performance.
• Supports the coordination of daily CLA activities under the direction of the Supervisor.
• Serve as point trainer for assigned processes and procedures; coordinate with management to support competency assessments as appropriate.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by supervisory or laboratory leadership personnel.

Benefits

• Karius aims to conquer infectious diseases through innovations around genomic sequencing and machine learning.
• The company’s platform is already delivering unprecedented insights into the microbial landscape, providing clinicians with a comprehensive test capable of identifying more than a thousand pathogens directly from blood, and helping industry accelerate the development of therapeutic solutions.
• The products Karius offers today are some of the most advanced solutions available to physicians who aim to deliver better care to many otherwise ineffectively treated patients.
• Our tests are the result of some incredible work done by our scientists, statisticians, engineers, and physicians, all driven by the same mission.
• You, as part of the Karius team, will be able to see how directly your work has a life-changing impact on people, and at scale.
• Karius is operating at the edge of what is now known to be possible in diagnostics. With that, comes a wave of new and incredible challenges and opportunities.
• To deliver on that value, you will be tapping into some of the most advanced technologies, architecting and innovating where the current solutions simply don't suffice.
• You will get to see how much your work really matters.

What This Job Offers

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