Hardware Engineer (II)

Location: Mountain View, CA

Salary: $71.00 USD Hourly - $81.00 USD Hourly

Description:

Role Summary (Plain-English Overview)

The Research Associate - Strain Build role is a hands-on, lab-focused position centered on designing, building, and validating engineered microbial strains to support internal research and partner projects. The role emphasizes high-throughput molecular biology, precision execution, and close collaboration with scientists and engineers in a biomanufacturing environment.

This is not a purely academic role-it requires industrial strain engineering experience, operational rigor, and comfort working within SOP-driven, fast-paced workflows.

Core Responsibilities (Condensed)2. Strain Engineering & Molecular Biology3. High-Throughput Lab Execution4. Troubleshooting & Optimization5. Data & Documentation6. Process & SOP Improvement Must-Have Candidate Profile (What Hiring Teams Will Screen For)

• Strain Design & Planning
• Translate high-level design objectives into:
• Construct maps
• Cloning/build strategies
• Plan multi-step strain engineering workflows
• Execute and optimize advanced techniques:
• Gibson Assembly
• Golden Gate cloning
• CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing
• Genomic integrations
• Build engineered strains in E. coli and/or S. cerevisiae
• Perform:
• High-throughput cloning
• DNA prep
• Microbial transformations
• Maintain speed without sacrificing accuracy
• Diagnose failures in cloning or strain build pipelines
• Adjust protocols to meet project timelines
• Maintain exceptional experimental records in:
• Benchling (or similar ELN/LIMS)
• Internal databases
• Ensure traceability and reproducibility
• Collaborate on:
• SOP refinement
• Workflow efficiency
• Reproducibility improvements
  

Education & Experience

B.S. or M.S. in:

• Molecular Biology
• Bioengineering
• Microbiology
• Chemical Engineering 3 years of industry experience in strain engineering (not purely academic)
  
  

Technical Skills (Non-Negotiable)

• Microbial culturing (E. coli and/or yeast)
• Molecular cloning & DNA assembly
• Genome integration
• CRISPR-based editing
• High attention to detail and protocol discipline
  
  

Behavioral Traits

• Strong troubleshooting mindset
• Comfortable with repetitive, high-throughput lab work
• Collaborative and documentation-driven
  
  

Preferred / Differentiating Skills

Experience with lab automation

• Liquid handlers (Agilent Bravo, Tecan)
• Automated plate readers
  
  

Broader microbial host experience

• Beyond E. coli / S. cerevisiae
  
  

Strong digital & bioinformatics fluency

• Benchling (advanced usage)
• Geneious or similar tools
  
  

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Contact:

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