Senior Research Associate

About Earli Earli exists to make cancer a benign experience. Earli does that by turning cancers against themselves: genetically forcing them to reveal themselves early, and then kill themselves - precisely and clearly distinguishable from benign lesions at early stages. Based on original technology from Stanford's renowned Gambhir lab, Earli designs genetic constructs that are injected intravenously that turn cancer cells against themselves. These programmable synthetic promoter-reporter sequences "flip on" like light switches only in dysregulated cancer cells and turn them into "factories." The cancer is forced to produce either an epitope "docking station" for imaging agents, or a cytokine for immune system activation against the tumor. Thus, Earli's platform enables immediate diagnosis and treatment of early cancers, rather than long-term observation that can lead to deadly metastatic recurrence. Earli's synthetic target expression platform has evolved over five years of deep bioengineering. The system can now detect broad ranges of patient mutations, distinguish between malignant and benign lesions, and offer independence from often elusive natural biomarkers. Earli has raised $82m in three rounds from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Khosla Ventures, Emerson Collective, Stanford, Perceptive Advisors, Casdin Capital, Marc Benioff, Sands Capital, Breyer Capital, Tailwinds (American-Korean) etc. Its Scientific Advisory Board includes Jim Allison (Nobel Laureate, Immuno Oncology), Bob Langer (MIT, co-founder Moderna), Phil Greenberg (Hutch, co-founder Juno), Pam Sharma (MD Anderson), Charlie Rudin (Sloan Kettering), Alan Ashworth (UCSF Cancer Center). Who You Are You share our same sense of dedication, scientific passion and entrepreneurial spirit You work well in a fast-paced and extremely focused startup environment You are not only smart, but clever and constantly think outside the box You are able to make logical decisions in an instant when there is little time to evaluate You are a natural communicator and relationship builder You stay calm under high pressure and stress You have the ability to multi-task in a serious way, with an extreme attention to detail You become a representative of the core DNA of the company through who you are The Position Earli Inc. is currently seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Senior Research Associate to join the Synthetic Gene Regulation team. Your Primary Responsibilities Work within a team environment to support development, characterization, and optimization of Earli's synthetic target platform. Execute comprehensive validation studies using standard and state-of-the-art molecular techniques such as quantitative PCR (qPCR), cell culture assays, and various omics sample preparation methods (i.e. RNA-seq, and ATAC-seq), ensuring the accuracy and reliability of pre-clinical datasets. Develop and optimize novel in vitro assays that identify & characterize cancer types. Contribute to tissue processing, nucleic acid extraction and downstream molecular analysis to support research and development objectives. Apply strong analytical skills to interpret experimental results and troubleshoot technical challenges. Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to design and execute in vitro experiments, providing critical datasets and insights to support decision-making processes and project timelines. Maintain meticulous records of experimental procedures, results, and data in compliance with company protocols and industry best practices. Stay current with relevant scientific literature and technologies to improve skills and knowledge. Your Required Experience, Knowledge and Skill Master's or Bachelor's degree in relevant field (Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, etc.) with 3 years work experience. Molecular biology experience including cloning, DNA and RNA isolation, and qPCR Ability to independently design and execute cloning strategies for novel expression constructs. Tissue culture experience with primary and established mammalian cell models. Experience with various transfection methodologies and engineering cell lines to achieve specific readouts and functions, familiarity with flow cytometry is a plus. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot experimental issues. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a team setting. A 'self-starter' mentality with strong motivation and a keen drive to excel individually and in a team. Excellent verbal communication, organization, time management, and interpersonal skills. Ability to think independently, multi-task effectively, and fully integrate into a high achieving team environment. The base salary for this role is $80k-$95k per year If interested in applying, please attach a CV or have a well-developed LinkedIn profile for us to be able to assess your background. We look forward to hearing from you.