Position Title: Research Technician, Automation
Pay: $25+/hr
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
Job Description and responsibilities:
We are looking for research technicians to join our AAV Engineering team. The goal of this position is to work collaboratively within the team to automate laboratory protocols. Under the guidance of an automation engineer, you will transfer manual workflows to automated liquid handling systems, thoroughly validate the automated protocols, and ensure smooth operation of the systems. A successful candidate will have a background in molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, or related fields, hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques and laboratory automation, and a desire to grow and learn at Capsida. Laboratory activities will constitute approximately 85% of the time.
Responsibilities
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- Follow written and verbal instructions to perform experimental protocols and produce reliable results.
- Communicate possible equipment failures and experimental difficulties.
- Record, analyze, and communicate experimental data.
- Maintain an electronic lab notebook.
- Manage inventories of automation consumables and perform routine maintenance.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to develop experimental approaches, exchange experimental material, reagents, and data, and coordinate automated protocol use.
Essential Qualifications
- BS in biology, genetics, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, or related fields.
- 1+ years wet lab experience, preferably within the biotech industry.
- Hands-on experience in molecular biology: multichannel pipetting, microplate assay preparation, multi-mode microplate reader, PCR, and nucleic acid purification.
- 1+ years experience with automated liquid handling systems (preferably Hamilton Nimbus or Vantage) including operation and troubleshooting.
- Ability to conduct advanced procedures precisely and consistently.
- Ability to document and maintain an organized account of lab work and results.
- Collaborative mindset, experience working as part of a larger group to achieve scientific goals.
- Willingness to learn, grow, and contribute to team-wide efforts.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with high-throughput screening.
- Demonstrated experience with molecular cloning, tissue extraction, Next-Generation Sequencing, qPCR, or ddPCR.
- Background knowledge of AAV biology or structural biology.
- Assay development experience.
- Demonstrated ability to automate or scale up a process.