Staff Scientist-LCMS

Guardant Health•Palo Alto, CA

9d•$150,100 - $206,400•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. This role will focus on developing and optimizing targeted LC-MS methods for small molecules, lipids, and/or peptides.

Requirements

PhD (or MSc with strong experience) in Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related field
5+ years of experience in targeted LC–MS method development
Hands-on expertise with PRM (HRMS)
Strong understanding of quantitative LC–MS workflows in biological matrices

Nice To Haves

Experience in lipidomics, proteomics, or clinical assays
Familiarity with regulated environments (CLIA/FDA/ISO)
Experience with high-throughput or automated workflows
Experience with biological specimens
Experience with high resolution mass spectrometry

Responsibilities

Develop and optimize targeted LC–MS methods (MRM/PRM) for small molecules, lipids, and/or peptides
Design and refine LC gradients to achieve optimal separation, sensitivity, and throughput
Optimize MS/MS parameters (collision energy, resolution, scan speed, dwell time)
Establish and implement quantification strategies (internal standards, calibration curves, QC normalization)
Evaluate assay performance: precision, accuracy, linearity, dynamic range, LLOQ/ULOQ
Assess and mitigate matrix effects and ion suppression
Operate and troubleshoot high-resolution MS systems (e.g., Orbitrap) and/or triple quadrupole platforms
Support method transfer across instruments and sites
Integrate workflows with automated sample preparation systems
Document methods and support CLIA/FDA-aligned validation and SOP development

Benefits

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.
Hybrid Work Model: This section is applicable to onsite employees who are eligible for hybrid work location as specified by management and related policies. Guardant has defined days for in-person/onsite collaboration and work-from-home days for individual-focused time. All U.S. employees who live within 50 miles of a Guardant facility will be required to be onsite on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are listed below. This range does not include benefits or, if applicable, bonus, commission, or equity. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, education, job-related skills, job duties, and business need.
Guardant Health is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our hiring processes for candidates with disabilities, long-term conditions, mental health conditions, or sincerely held religious beliefs. If you need support, please reach out to [email protected]
A background screening including criminal history is required for this role. GH will consider qualified applicants with criminal arrest or conviction histories in a manner consistent with applicable law including but not limited to the LA County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).
Guardant Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
To learn more about the information collected when you apply for a position at Guardant Health, Inc. and how it is used, please review our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants.
Please visit our career page at: http://www.guardanthealth.com/jobs/
If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!
Our Work Experience is the combination of everything that's unique about us: our culture, our core values, our company meetings, our commitment to sustainability, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it's our people. Our employees are self-disciplined, hard working, curious, trustworthy, humble, and truthful. They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference, and they make us the #1 Top Workplace in the area.