Senior Upstream Research Associate

Job Description

Senior Upstream Research Associate-Cell & Assay Operations

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Boston, MA

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$45-55/hr

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6-Month Contract

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The Senior Upstream Research Associate – Cell & Assay Operations will play a critical part in expanding our low and high-throughput cell culture and screening capacity, executing routine mammalian cell maintenance, transfections, and genetic perturbation assays (siRNA/CRISPR).

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Senior Upstream Research Associate Responsibilities:

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• Maintain, expand, and quality-control mammalian cell lines (including immortalized, primary, or iPSC models) to support continuous screening schedules.

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• Perturbation Screen Execution: Perform routine transfections (lipid-based and/or electroporation) and execute high-throughput siRNA and CRISPR perturbation protocols following established SOPs.

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• Rigorous Documentation & LIMS Tracking: Build and maintain meticulous Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) records, write/update standard operating procedures (SOPs), and log sample metadata within LIMS tracking software to guarantee full data traceability.

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• Actively participate in routine lab upkeep, reagent inventory management, plate staging, and equipment maintenance cycles to ensure a high-functioning, safe research environment.

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• Coordinate daily operational hand-off s with midstream Automation/HTS and downstream NGS teams to maintain steady workflow progression across production campaigns.

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Senior Upstream Research Associate Requirements:

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• BS in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or related discipline with 2–5 years of industry experience, OR an MS with 1–3 years of industry experience in a biotech or pharmaceutical setting.

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• Hands-on experience in mammalian cell culture maintenance, cell counting, plating, and cryopreservation using aseptic technique.

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• Familiarity with high-throughput automation.

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• Demonstrated experience with cell-based assays, transfections (siRNA, plasmid, or CRISPR), and 384-well format experience is a strong plus.

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• Proven track record of working within structured documentation systems (ELN, LIMS, or SOP-driven environments) with high attention to detail.

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• Strong collaborative skills, reliability, and clear communication when coordinating shared laboratory spaces and scheduling hand-offs.

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