Scientist/Associate Scientist– Assay Development, Automation Group

Company Description:

Fueled by an innovative drive and a deep understanding of the microbiome, Pivot Bio is pioneering game-changing advances in crop nutrition. Our proprietary ON TechnologyTM harnesses the power of naturally occurring microbes to provide more nutrients to crops. It’s a smart, sustainable way for farmers to improve yield as they work to help feed the world’s growing population.

Position:Scientist/Associate Scientist– Assay Development, Automation Group, Berkeley, CA.

Pivot Bio deploys impactful and innovative technologies to enable the smartest, most sustainable farming on the planet. We are looking for highly motivated individuals who want to enable Pivot Bio’s scientific researchers to be the best they can. If you have experience and passion in providing researchers scale, reliability, and impact using the power of laboratory automation, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities:

• Application development of new methods and assays in conjunction with client teams and the automation group.
• Working with automation engineers and end users to innovate and improve on our existing workflows , assays , and robotic methods .
• Testing, implementing, and validating robotic methods alongside automation team members.
• Drafting SOPs and documentation to support new and existing automated assays and workflows.
• Assisting the Research Operations team to assist in quality-of-life development projects for Pivot’s research teams .
• Managing and communicating project status for new assays and automated methods under development .
• Providing a friendly and attentive demeanor for the Pivot Bio scientific community to interact and collaborate with.

Qualifications and Experience

• BA/BS or higher, in a molecular and/or microbial biology discipline with 4 + years of assay development or applications research. Previous automated liquid handling or high-throughput experience preferred but not required.
• Experience in either bacterial fermentation processes, bacterial cloning, NGS workflows, qPCR workflows, and/or plate and vial assays is preferred.
• A ptitude in designing and validat ing new assays for higher throughput and scale.
• Experimental design and execution skills , along with the appropriate statistics background to draw conclusions and validate results required .
• Programming experience in relevant paradigms is encouraged (Python, Julia, Matlab, R, Excel VBA, etc ) but not required.
• Experience with rapid prototyping tools such as CAD and 3D printing is not required, but a plus .
• Proactive and passionate about biology, robotics, and most importantly: our scientific users.
• Can work self-directed and as part of a coordinated multi-disciplinary team.

Position commensurate with education/experience.

• Associate Scientist: BA/BS or higher, in a molecular and/or microbial biology discipline with 4+ years of assay development or applications research.
• Scientist: BA/BS or higher in a molecular and/or microbial biology discipline with 6+ years of assay development or applications research.

What we offer:

• Competitive package in a disruptive startup
• Stock options
• Health/Dental/Vision insurance with employer-paid premiums
• Life, Short Term and Long Term Disability policies
• Employee Assistance Program with free referrals and discounts
• 401(k) plan, 3% Match
• Commuter benefits
• Annual Training & Development support
• Flexible vacation policy with a generous holiday schedule
• Exciting opportunity to work with a talented and fun team