Scientist III, Cell Biology (Upstream/Bioreactor)

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Some degree of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required (safety glasses, gowning, gloves, lab coat, ear plugs etc.)

Job Description

Work Location: West Hills, CA

Group: Specialty Diagnostics Group

Division: Transplant Diagnostics

How will you make an impact

As part of the Cell Biology R&D team, the person in this role will be fully onsite supporting development, production, and quality of our in vitro diagnostics (IVD) products for antibody detection. The candidate is expected to have a broad spectrum of working knowledge and experience in mammalian cell culture and rocking platform bioreactor (e.g., WAVE25, Xuri) with scientific rigor in a regulatory environment. Experience in mammalian cell line generation, characterization, expansion, and banking. Knowledge in cell biology, immunology, HLA, lymphocyte development and transplantation is a strong foundation to build on.

What will you do

Operate and optimize WAVE or Xuri bioreactor systems for cell culture applications.

Design, perform, and troubleshoot experiments involving the culture of various cell lines.

Develop and refine aseptic techniques to ensure contamination-free cultures.

Perform scale-up study studies to support process development and production.

Maintain detailed and accurate records of experiments, protocols, and results.

Analyze data and present findings to internal teams.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support project goals and timelines.

Conduct the preparation of technical reports, manuscripts, and presentations.

Maintain mammalian cell culture including thawing, passaging, expansion, cell banking, and inventory management.

Generate recombinant cell lines including transfection, selection, enrichment, single cell cloning, clonal expansion, and banking.

Characterize cell lines by cell viability analyzer, antigen expression by flow cytometry, cell line identity by molecular typing, and cell line sterility by mycoplasma testing.

Purify antigen or antibody. Perform biochemical and biophysical characterizations including concentration determination, SDS-PAGE, Western Blot, ELISA, and Luminex.

Perform all activities in compliance with GDP, GMP, regulatory and safety policies.

How will you get here

Education / Experience

PhD degree in Cell Biology, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, Immunology, Genetics or a related subject area in Biological Sciences AND at least 3 years of post-graduate experience; Master's degree in above areas AND at least 8 years of post-graduate experience

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Extensive hands-on experience with WAVE and Xuri bioreactor systems.

Clear understanding of bioreactor, cell culture, cell line development and cell banking principles and practices.

Proficiency in aseptic techniques and maintaining sterile environments.

Ability to design, conduct, and interpret experiments independently.

Strong communication, documentation (organization and record-keeping), and presentation skills.

Ability to perform multi-tasks and manage priorities to meet company goals.

Strong problem-solving skills, identifying root causes, and proposing alternative approaches and feasible solutions.

Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a group setting to meet project timeline.

Flexibility and adaptability in a highly dynamic and demanding environment.

A complete employee benefits package includes health insurance, life insurance, paid time off (PTO), life insurance, employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), etc.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range estimated for this position based in California is $92,000.00–$125,000.00.

This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:

• A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs

• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement

• At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy

• Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan

• Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount

For more information on our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.thermofisher.com/global/en/total-rewards