Umoja Biopharma is a game-changing biotech start-up with locations in Seattle, WA and Louisville, CO, focused on transforming the treatment of cancer with a novel integrated immunotherapy platform. Our vision is to develop off-the-shelf therapies capable of treating any tumor, any time. We are a diverse and growing team working in brand-new facilities in downtown Seattle, Washington, and Louisville, Colorado, and we are looking for innovative thinkers who are excited by groundbreaking science and technology, and passionate about squaring up to the challenges inherent to cutting edge drug development. We are committed to the principles of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and strongly invite applications from enthusiastic individuals who share our commitment and help position Umoja as a leader in this front. 

We at Umoja believe in the importance of stories; we are looking for great people to join our team to help us create more stories for ourselves, for you, and most importantly for patients and their families.  

Umoja Biopharma – Your Body. Your Hope. Your Cure.  

POSITION SUMMARY

We are hiring an Associate Scientist. The candidate will be working closely with a team of scientist to develop In Vivo CAR T products and is required to be contributing predominantly “at the bench.” The successful candidate is expected to have a strong understanding of fundamental human immunology and experience in CAR T cell development for clinical indications. Strong flow cytometry “hands on” skills and analytical capabilities are required and experience in CAR T development from ground up is preferred. Strong communication and organizational skills are a must.

CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Assist with study design, execution, analysis, and communication of experiments to support selection and optimization of drug candidates for cell/gene therapy
  • Execute standard cell culture processes including transduction, selection, sub-cloning, cell line engineering and tumor model development
  • Conduct flow cytometry and cell-based potency assays (e.g., Incucyte immune cell killing assay) to assess CAR T cell performance
  • Conduct experiments to support exploratory discovery projects using advanced molecular and biochemical techniques (e.g., viral vector packaging, qPCR, protein overexpression and purification, Western blotting, ELISA)
  • Maintain clear records of experimental work using an electronic notebook system that adheres to company guidelines
  • Communicate study designs, data, and interpretations.

The successful candidate will have:

  • Bachelor’s degree and 4 years of experience or advanced degree in scientific discipline
  • Candidate must possess the following skills/abilities:
    • Multi-channel flow cytometry including panel design
    • Cytokine analysis (MSD preferred)
    • Tissue culture
    • Cell line engineering
    • CAR T functional studies including flow killing/IncucyteÒ
    • Familiarity with FloJo, Prism, Jmp, Microsoft Office software, electronic notebook (BenchlingÒ or similar)
  • Comfortable working with viral vectors and human tissue (predominantly blood) samples
  • Good oral presentation skills and ability to draft PowerPoint presentations outlining experimental design, methods, results and conclusions
  • Excellent documentation skills
  • Supportive disposition and group focused mentality

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Mouse handling experience
  • Experience with molecular biology techniques, such as cloning and gene expression.
  • Understanding of data engineering principles and familiarity with programming languages (R, Python, etc.).
  • Familiarity with biochemical techniques such as western blot.

Physical Requirements:

  • Ability to lift 40lbs and stand at a laboratory bench for multiple hours at a time
  • Ability to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) including gloves, protective clothing, and eye safety glasses.
  • Ability to work onsite daily in our Seattle, WA location

Salary Range: $92,820 - $114,700

Benefits Offerings

Umoja Biopharma offers its employees competitive Medical, Dental, and Vision plans. Additionally, we offer Umojians access to a 401k plan through Fidelity, with a 100% match up to their first 4% deferral. Umoja also provides a generous Paid Time Off policy, employee commuter benefits, and cell phone stipend. For a full breakdown of our benefits offerings, please see the Benefits section of our website.

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