Gene Editing Production Associate

Position: Gene Editing Production Associate I

Location: SSF

Type: Full-time

Desired start date: January 5, 2026

The Opportunity:
Ohalo™ is seeking a motivated Gene Editing Production Associate who will contribute to the advancement of plant variety development by working on the gene editing production team. The successful candidate will be creative and passionate about discovery, pushing science forward. Furthermore, the successful candidate will be well-organized, detail-oriented, and work independently as well as in a team environment. The candidate will spend approximately 90% of their time on plant tissue culture and regeneration and 10% on data management and analysis.

The candidate will complete a 3–6 month training period in Aptos, CA before transitioning to our South San Francisco office.

Responsibilities:

• Protoplast Isolation, Transfection, and Culture:
• Monitor plant conditions and growth. 
• Perform enzymatic digestion of plant tissues (e.g., leaf, root, or callus) to isolate viable protoplasts.
• Transfect protoplasts using PEG-mediated transfection or electroporation methods.
• Culture transfected protoplasts to regenerate callus.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement and documentation of standard operating procedures for protoplast workflows.
• Microscopy and Imaging:
• Assess protoplast yield, viability, and cell health using fluorescence and confocal microscopy and viability dyes (e.g., FDA staining).
• Data Recording and Analysis:
• Maintain organized, accurate, and detailed records of plant inventory, media preparation, and production experiments in electronic lab notebooks (ELN). 
• Compile and analyze data using tools such as ImageJ, GraphPad Prism, Excel, Google Sheets, or R.
• Sample Preparation:
• Prepare samples for downstream molecular analyses, including DNA and RNA extraction.
• Cross-Functional Support and Collaboration:
• Collaborate with other Technicians, Research Associates, and Scientists on workflows, ensuring that critical processes are completed.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Microbiology, Plant Science, or related field with 0-3 years of experience 
• Ability to accurately follow verbal and written instructions as well as make suggestions to optimize methodologies 
• Ability to ask clarifying questions, articulate challenges, and suggest solutions
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time and do repetitive motions
• Ability to take a proactive approach to routine tasks
• Must be passionate about learning and enthusiastic about plants and hands-on work 
• Must have a positive attitude and good interpersonal skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of plant science, plant breeding, and molecular biology
• Experience working in a lab including sterile technique, micropropagation, media preparation, microscopy, and DNA extraction
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Powerpoint and Word) OR Google Suite (Mail, Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drive)
  
  

The anticipated pay range for this role is $70K - $83K per year for our South San Francisco, CA location.  The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

About Ohalo: 

Ohalo™ aims to accelerate evolution to unlock nature's potential. Founded in 2019, Ohalo develops novel breeding systems and improved plant varieties that help farmers grow more food with fewer natural resources, increasing the yield, resiliency, and genetic diversity of crops to sustainably feed our population. Ohalo's breakthrough technology, Boosted Breeding™, will usher in a new era of improved productivity to radically transform global agriculture. For more information, visit www.ohalo.com.

Notes: If you previously applied for a job at Ohalo Genetics, we encourage you to restate your interest in the position by submitting your application.

No visa sponsorship is available for this position at this time. 

No recruiters, please.