Senior Research Associate

Our mission at Progenity is simple: to help healthcare providers and patients prepare for life. We provide the most advanced molecular technology and the highest levels of service to guide patient care at critical life stages. We continually seek people with the motivation and skills to advance our mission.

The Senior Research Associate is responsible for conducting experiments aimed at developing human genomics-based products for the NIPT, carrier screening, women’s health, and human disease molecular diagnostics industries. Activities include developing and carrying out well planned and controlled experiments. Data analysis activities are also practiced according to approved organizational standards followed by determination of future experimental and assay development activities resulting from such analyses. Experimentation is aimed at implementation and optimization of technologies and completing the development and verification/validation of new Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs).

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Creates experimental designs, protocols, engineering designs, plans, and procedures with minimal supervisory input.

• Independently executes defined protocols, procedures, and data analysis plans.

• Conducts experiments that are comprehensive in nature with results that can have a large departmental impact on one or more projects.

• Trains/mentors new/entry level associates in the unit of work or technical subjects.

• Develops as a subject matter expert in a defined discipline. Able to summarize, analyze, and convey complex information clearly and adjust communication to the audience.

• Uses of outside sources of ideas and information (scientific literature, patents, regulatory body websites, industry best practice) to keep current in area of expertise.

• Creates and reviews experimental designs, protocols, engineering designs, plans, procedures, product/process documents, and reports to achieve business objectives.

• May be accountable for lab work or unit of work carried out by other Associates.

• Leads by example in following all policies, procedures as required and proactively identifies and remedies problems.

• Independently implements system and/or process changes and improvements to complex processes across functions.

• Facilitates/leads technical discussions and decision making within discipline/department as well as cross functionally.

• Contributes to requirements discussion within unit of work.

• Develops deeper understanding of risk management concepts and is capable of assessing product, process, and technical schedule risks across unit of work.

• Able to remove simple or moderately complex road blocks within unit of work.

• Drives process improvement ideation, implementation, and sustainment within department; May also be involved in driving broader scale improvement initiatives.

• Has awareness of industry standards and regulations and how they relate to internal policies and procedures.

• Influences interpretation of internal policies and procedures to ensure quality and compliance.

• Accountsfor decisions within unit of work. Uses sound judgment and thinks through impacts of situations and options.

• Authors and drives implementation and execution of work instructions/standard work.

• Identifies opportunities, offers solutions, and participates in execution for product and process improvements within the function and department.

• Looks beyond the obvious symptoms to uncover root cause issues and prioritizes problems for solutions based on highest impact.

• Performs cost-benefit analysis in order to prioritize project paths, decisions, and laboratory needs.

• Communicates effectively within the technical teams for assigned projects.

• Coordinates effectively with other project teams on process improvements, laboratory processes, and operations.

• Works collaboratively across Research and Development. Motivates and engages teammates by providing solutions and seeking feedback.

• Has ability to influence tactical decisions within their department.

• Technical lead within unit of work, informs project teams at multiple levels and across functions.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities, as deemed necessary.

REQUIREMENTS

• BS, MS or Ph.D. degree in life science field with a molecular biology/genomics focus. Ph.D. preferred and other exceptional candidates will be considered.
• Extensive Laboratory-based experimentation.
• Previous industrial experience preferred.
• Extensive experience in one or more of our technology platforms (molecular biology, genomics, next-generation sequencing, protein chemistry, bioinformatics, etc.) required.
• Clear written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize effectively.
• Industry knowledge or demonstrated technical capability applicable to unit of work.
• Extensive product knowledge or technical expertise in focus area.
• An advanced degree with demonstrated active learning skills may replace extensive product knowledge.