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Scientist, Cell Engineering

Sana Biotechnology

Sana Biotechnology

South San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Friday, April 19, 2024

About the role

Sana Biotechnology is growing, and we are hiring new team members who believe in the potential of engineered cells as medicines, who want to challenge status quo, and who lead with the desire to work on novel ideas. As the Cell Engineering Scientist, you will report to a Cell Engineering Senior Director, and will have an important role in the development of Sana’s immune evasive pluripotent stem cell (PSC) derived cell therapies.

What you’ll do

  • Identify and test reagents for efficient single/multiplexed gene editing and develop and optimize processes to create Sana’s gene edited PSC therapies
  • Collaborate with Sana colleagues in Stem Cell Sciences and Technical Operations to enable the manufacturing of Sana’s gene edited PSC therapies in a controlled/cGMP environment
  • Support and perform key pluripotent stem cell and gene editing characterization assays
  • Collaborate with program teams to establish novel cell engineering capabilities, technologies, and reagents to enable Sana’s cell therapies
  • Generate knock-out and knock-in critical cell lines using gene editing tools

What we’re looking for

  • PhD in a scientific discipline + 2 years of academic/industry experience or BA and/or MS +7 years of academic/industry experience
  • Deep knowledge of stem cell biology and genome editing technologies, with proven high-level performance and publication record
  • Experience developing and optimizing gene editing strategies in diverse mammalian cell types
  • Hands-on experience with pluripotent stem cell culture and a track record of utilizing key characterization assays.
  • Excellent communication skills; ability to present effectively to teams with diverse backgrounds and experience transferring know-how to others
  • Highly organized and demonstrated curiosity, scientific rigor and problem-solving skills
  • Comfortable in a fast-paced environment and ability to adapt to increasing scope and complexity of work as projects mature.

What will separate you from the crowd

  • Demonstrated experience generating and characterizing knock-out and knock-in cell lines, including subcloning and clonal characterization
  • Experience developing key characterization assays, including genomic and analytical approaches to access pluripotency, gene editing and genomic stability
  • Hands on experience identifying, screening, and optimizing gene editing reagents from a variety of gene editing modalities
  • Molecular Biology skills

What you should know

  • This is a lab-based position – you will be expected to spend time developing and/or transferring processes, and/or manufacturing PSC products
  • Ability to accommodate flexible work schedule – some weekend and holiday work will be required
  • This position may require travel to a Sana manufacturing facility on the East Coast
  • This position requires handling human tissue-derived cells
  • Occasional bending and lifting smaller equipment and media (up to ~20kg)
  • Lab work – standing and seating
  • Working safely in person on a predictable and regular in-person basis is an essential job function for this position
  • The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $130,000 and $160,000/year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience

How we work together for patients

  • Lead from every seat – we seek to understand, act with honesty, and engage in the crucial conversations
  • Thrive as a team – we hire amazing people, are intensely curious, and cultivate inclusion and personal connectivity
  • Make it happen – we value vigorous debate, alignment around our decisions, and resilient execution

Get to know us

At Sana, we believe that a diverse workforce strengthens us as a company and helps us to achieve our mission to meaningfully change the outcome of many human diseases. This belief is a pillar of our business and is critical to our success. Our goal is that Sana is the place for talented people to bring their authentic selves to work, to have a great career and to deeply, positively impact patients.

Core to our values, we believe there is nothing more important than the health and wellness of you and your family. For benefit eligible employees, we cover 100% of the cost for employee health coverage and offer generous time-off (various paid time off benefits, such as holidays, vacation, sick time, and parental leave), short- and long-term disability, employer paid basic life insurance, additional voluntary life insurance protection, financial wellness programs including financial planning resources, a 401(k) Plan with an immediately vested employer match, Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, commuter subsidy and a variety of wellness offerings to support each person individually. For more details on our benefits, visit Sana’s Benefits Portal.

We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental or sensory disability (including the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability), genetic information, actual or perceived HIV or Hepatitis C infection, medical condition (cancer or a record or history of cancer and genetic characteristics), marital status, sexual orientation, sexual preference, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), disability, veteran status, political ideology, social class (including caste/caste identity), taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The job description listed above is representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions described above.