Lab Technician/Operations Manager (Contract)

tl;dr

General Proximity is a seed-stage startup developing the next generation of induced proximity medicines (IPMs). Our OmniTAC drug discovery engine furnishes molecules that co-opt existing cellular machinery to overcome therapeutic challenges, which have remained unapproachable to other modalities for decades.

We are seeking a first-rate Lab Technician / Operations Manager to help us pioneer this uncharted frontier of drug discovery.

Our Story

A long-standing challenge in drug discovery is the development of molecules capable of modulating difficult or "undruggable" targets. Disease-causing proteins can be dysfunctional in many different ways, but our armamentarium for fixing them is quite limited. The most common mechanism of action for FDA-approved drugs is inhibition[1], but there are many other possible perturbation types whose potential remains unrealized.

General Proximity is a seed-stage drug discovery company developing a novel platform technology to solve this problem. We make bifunctional drugs that induce the modification of drug targets by existing cellular machinery (rather than through direct modulation by the drug, the classical approach).

Historically, the development of technologies that allow one to push new buttons in biology has been an incredibly fertile field for the discovery of new medicines[2, 3, 4], and our technology holds the same promise.

The Position

We are seeking an experienced Laboratory Technician / Operations Manager to support our Biology and Platform teams. In this position, you will work at the intersection of lab operations, infrastructure management, and research and development. This job requires strong skills and demonstrable experience in all three areas: lab operations, management, and cell/molecular biology.

Your responsibilities will include 1) general lab management and technician duties: maintaining lab stocks, inventories and ordering, registering and preparing compounds stocks, preparing buffers/media, and receiving supplies; 2) operations: organizational and operational tasks, procurement, and equipment acquisition; and 3) biological research: assisting teams with maintaining cell lines and performing cell-based assays. You will either train or coordinate the training of new members on the different assays we use in our company. 

This is a full-time contract role with the potential to convert to a regular employee position based on performance.

About You

High Agency. Initiative, independence, and self-accountability are some of our most valued traits.

Enthusiastic. We love people who are excited about what they are doing and are generally attempting to build a high-energy team.

Intensity and Grit. Early-stage startups are hard. Drug discovery is doubly so. We are looking for candidates who have a demonstrated ability to stick with complex problems for the long haul, with a team that has your back along the way.

Prosocial. We are here to create life-saving medicines for the patients who need it most. You should be, too.

Qualifications & Nice-To-Haves

• BS in Biology or related life sciences field, with a minimum of 2 years of experience in maintaining laboratory operations for a group of 10 scientists. 
• Excellent attention to detail, exceptional organizational and problem-solving skills, top-notch written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proactive mindset towards identifying and solving potential issues to ensure seamless operations. 
• Experience managing sample inventories, vendors, EHS compliance, and lab safety.
  
  
• Proficiency in:
  • Mammalian cell culture and passaging/seeding cells
  • Cell-based assays
  • Registration of inventory and compound stock preparation
  • Experience with HTS and phenotypic assay development
  • Plasmid design/cloning and PCR
    
    
• Nice to have:
  • Working knowledge of LIMS/database systems is highly desirable
  • Transient/stable protein expression and characterization, immunoprecipitation assays
  • Experience with flow cytometry/cell sorting
  • Any computational or programming skills would also be a bonus

Benefits

• Strong equity incentives. We are looking for candidates who will bring a strong sense of ownership to drive their project areas forward, and we believe that you deserve to be compensated accordingly.
• Top tier medical, dental, and vision coverage One Medical membership.
• 401(k) retirement plans.
• Education and health/fitness incentive programs.
• Meditation retreats—do a ten-day Vipassana retreat without counting towards vacation days. 
• Reading budget! We will buy you books. 📚
• Located in the MBC BioLabs at 135 Mississippi Street, an entrepreneurial hub full of the best scientists and operators the Bay Area has to offer. Our lab is a very short walk from the 22nd St Caltrain Station and a number of wonderful restaurants and cafés.

About Us

Work Hard/Play Hard. We believe time is our most valuable commodity, so we strive to create a culture that reflects this. We won’t drag you through unnecessary meetings or email you at 7 PM on a Saturday. When we're at work, we're there to get things done, and when we're off, we're really off. 🌴

Strong Communication. We like well-written documents over PowerPoints, OKRs over vague mission statements, and weekly one-on-ones over yearly reviews.

Writing First. We have a "writing-first" culture. We believe that clarity of writing reflects clarity of thinking and that the benefits of well-written documentation in a scientific environment are innumerable: democratization of ideation and decision-making, increased reproducibility, quicker scaling and onboarding, and better company-wide alignment, to name a few.

Growth. As an early-stage startup, we value scientists with an independent, can-do attitude. The more hats you can wear, the better. Our job as employers is to put you in positive feedback loops so you can grow in the direction of your choosing.

Title and compensation commensurate with experience. Applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds, women, and members of underrepresented minority groups are particularly welcomed. We look forward to hearing from you. :)

More info at jobs.generalproximity.bio