Research Associate II

About the role

We are seeking a research associate to join our dynamic team at Numen at our San Francisco office. The ideal candidate is someone who is genuinely excited by hard scientific problems and wants to get hands-on with developing diagnostic assays towards earlier, easier cancer detection. We're a small team building something from the ground up, which means pitching in wherever the science needs you, paired with the careful, disciplined bench skills good science depends on.

What you'll do

• Execute assays independently at the bench, including ELISA-format immunoassays and amplification-based assays (qPCR, RT-PCR, and/or isothermal amplification).
• Handle, aliquot, process, and store human biological specimens according to established protocols, biosafety requirements, and chain-of-custody procedures.
• Perform data analysis on experiments, recognize whether an experiment has failed and flag it.
• Communicate experimental results and implications to the wider team in weekly lab meetings.
• Follow written scientific and clinical protocols precisely, and record results in real time in a lab notebook with enough detail that another person could reproduce the run.
• Prepare reagents, buffers, standards, and controls; maintain reagent inventory and lot tracking.

What we're looking for

Required

• BS/BA in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, biomedical engineering, or a related field and 2-4 years of relevant experience, or a MS and 0-2 years of experience.
• Hands-on wet lab experience, in industry or an academic research setting.
• Solid core technique: accurate micropipetting, serial dilutions, multichannel and plate-based work, sterile/clean handling.
• Good communication skills: you are thorough with documentation and can communicate results to the wider team.
• A good attitude and genuine willingness to learn. We care more about this than about any specific technique on your resume.
• Intrinsic motivation, we encourage hard work, new ideas and reward ambition with career progression.
• The ability to make a mistake, say so immediately, understand what went wrong, and not repeat it. Everyone at the bench generates bad data sometimes; what matters is catching it and being straightforward about it.
• Comfort working with human biological specimens and following biosafety practices.
• Reliability with time-sensitive work — some assays don't wait, and some timepoints fall outside standard hours.

Preferred

• Direct experience with ELISA or other plate-based immunoassays.
• Direct experience with PCR/qPCR or isothermal amplification, including good contamination-control practice.
• Experience with early-stage or exploratory assay development, where protocols aren't fixed yet.
• Familiarity with an ELN (Benchling or similar), LIMS, and basic data analysis in Excel, GraphPad Prism, R, or Python.

All required lab, biosafety, and specimen-handling training is provided by us. You don't need existing certifications to apply.

Work environment

• On-site laboratory role, there is no remote option for this role.
• Extended periods standing and doing repetitive pipetting.
• Requires PPE (lab coat, gloves, eye protection) and work with potentially infectious human specimens and hazardous chemicals.
• Early, late, or weekend work when required to hit assay timepoints.

Even if you feel like you don’t meet all of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply!

Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Numen, we welcome diverse perspectives and people who think rigorously and aren't afraid to challenge the status quo. Numen is an equal opportunity employer; we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment, free from discrimination or harassment, for all employees.