Poseida’s proprietary gene-editing technologies, the Cas-CLOVER™ and Super piggyBac® platforms, are the foundation for our next generation of Genetic Medicine/Gene Therapy products. You will work with an outstanding team of molecular biologists, protein engineers, gene-editing experts, pharmacologists, organic chemists, and formulation scientists to create new and effective therapeutic approaches. Your work will be central to our molecular discovery and pipeline program studies. You will have an opportunity to learn and advance in your career as this group is forward-thinking and fully supportive of development. We understand the meaning of team and are looking for an individual who wants to be a part of something bigger and a driving force in changing the lives of patients.

Position Summary

Poseida is seeking outstanding candidates to join our Genetic Engineering team focusing on molecular biology, protein engineering, and gene editing. They will play a key role in exciting projects focused on expanding and evolving the use and capabilities of our piggyBac gene delivery and Cas-CLOVER gene editing platforms.

Responsibilities 

These may include but are not limited to:

• Expand our proprietary gene editing platform to develop new tools and/or applications for specialized and enhanced implementation in gene therapy, gene editing, and biologics/cell therapeutics
• Apply your strong background in molecular and cellular biology to develop and/or enhance new gene editing and transposon tools in cell culture models for use in ex vivo and in vivo therapies
• Work in a highly collaborative, cross-functional team environment to perform experiments in the lab, analyze results, and communicate findings in team meetings
• Keep current on trends, new products and technologies in gene editing, knock-ins, and transposons
• Actively participate in our proprietary gene therapy platform technologies to create new human therapeutic candidates
• Analyze data from cell-based assays and report to multidisciplinary groups
• A Sr. Research Scientist may manage 1-2 Research Technicians or Research Associates so would expect management experience as well as 5+ years relevant industry experience, at that level.

Requirements, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ph.D. in molecular biology, synthetic biology, cell biology, virology, protein engineering, genome engineering, or related scientific field with 0-2 years at the Research Scientist I level, 3-5 years at the Research Scientist II level and 5+ years of relevant industry experience at the Sr. Research Scientist level. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered. The title and responsibility commensurate with relevant experience.
• Experience with transposases, recombinases, CRISPR, TALENs, ZFNs, Prime Editing, Base Editing, or other genome editing tools
• Proficiency in bioinformatics/machine learning/computer languages (such as Python) highly valued
• Previous experience with functional assays and analyses used to measure success of gene editing/knock-in/knock-outs and genotoxicity, including insertion site characterization, off-target evaluation, and genomic instability assessment
• Understanding and hands on experience with various directed evolution or rational/structure-based protein engineering strategies is a plus
• Experience with cloning techniques such as restriction digests, Gibson assembly, transformations, Sanger sequencing, plasmid preps, and DNA design/analysis software. High throughput or pooled cloning work is a plus
• Proficiency with mammalian tissue culture and transfection of immortalized cell lines. Experience with various primary cell types is a plus
• Previous experience or a strong desire to learn the following techniques:
•       Multicolor flow cytometry, cell sorting, and FACS analysis software
•       PCR, qRT-PCR, ddPCR, in vitro transcription and RNA preparation
•       Library preparation and Next Generation Sequencing on Illumina and nanopore platforms
•       Lentiviral production and transduction
•       Protein purification, Western Blot, chromatography
• Demonstrated ability to be independent, self-motivated, as well as work in a highly collaborative setting
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, attention to detail, and documentation skills
• Excellent critical thinking and analytic skills and great trouble-shooting ability are required
• Must be passionate about performing research that may lead to the treatment or cure of human disease
• Able to lift to 40 pounds and stand for hours at a time
• The position requires a combination of standing or sitting in a laboratory environment as well as walking around the facility

Sr. Research Scientist, Genome/Protein Engineer Pay Rate:   $118,000 to $147,708 annually

Research Scientist II, Genome/Protein Engineer Pay Rate: $103,000 to $131,785 annually

Research Scientist I, Genome/Protein Engineer Pay Rate:  $98,000 to $119,392 annually

The final pay offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and length of experience within the job, type, and length of experience with the industry, education, geographic location, etc.

Who We Are and What We Do 

Based in San Diego, Poseida Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing our unique and proprietary genetic engineering platform technologies to create next-generation cell and gene therapies with the capacity to cure. We are passionate about making an impact on patients’ lives with the development of our CAR-T therapies in various cancers and gene therapies for rare diseases. Our goal is to deliver potential single treatment cures for patients in need. Our portfolio of product candidates is specifically designed to overcome the limitations of current generation cell and gene therapeutics.