Research Associate IV, Analytical Chemistry
Biobot Analytics
Cambridge, MA, USA
Posted on Tuesday, September 19, 2023
At Biobot, our mission is to transform existing wastewater infrastructure into public health observatories. We process thousands of wastewater samples from across the United States, characterizing biomarkers of concern, SARS-CoV-2 as well as chemicals and other pathogens. We provide not just raw data but valuable, actionable insights to customers in government, public health, and private industry.
Biobot’s Chemistry Operations team is responsible for performing and delivering reliable, high quality targeted bioanalytical chemistry data to our public health customers. We are looking for a Research Associate to support our portfolio of targeted LC-MS assays on the Chemistry Lab Operations team at Biobot Analytics. This scientist will be predominantly responsible for the technical troubleshooting of instrumentation and data generated from quantitative LC-MS assays. Additionally, this scientist will collaborate with the chemistry R&D and tech transfer teams to transfer novel assays from development. The ideal candidate will be an expert in quantitative bioanalytical LC-MS operation and data interpretation who thrives in a collaborative and fast-paced environment.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities (What you will be doing):
- Identify and solve both technical and analytical problems
- Support and mentor junior scientists in the mastery of analytical chemistry techniques and trouble-shooting
- Ensure instrumentation and equipment are operational
- Coordinate with instrument, equipment, and supply vendors to triage problems and schedule maintenance
- Maintain compound database(s) within instrument software or third party toolkits
- Examine new consumables or reagents, qualify new equipment and instrumentation, and identify and perform critical process improvements
- Document summary of day to day operations in LIMS
- Assist technology transfer team with transferring new assays from R&D to Operations
- Work safely in a BSL2 laboratory environment and serve as a leader with respect to lab safety
- Maintain a clean and organized workspace
- Collaborate with internal teams on cross-functional projects, data interpretation, presentations, etc.
- Other duties as assigned
Education and/or Work Experience Requirements (What you need to succeed):
- Bachelor’s plus 3-4 years related work experience (LC-MS, GC-MS, LC-HRMS, UV-Vis Spectrophotometry, etc) in a bioanalytical environment
- Highly skilled in small molecule quantitative HPLC-MS, particularly in applications involving isotope dilution quantitation
- Well-versed in multiple forms of bioanalytical sample preparation techniques (filtration, SPE, protein precipitation, derivatization, etc.)
- Ability to communicate complex technical topics to both scientific and non-scientific audiences
- A collaborative and get-stuff-done attitude
Education and/or Work Experience Bonuses (What will help you succeed):
- Familiarity with ThermoFisher Scientific instruments/TraceFinder software
- Benchtop stability / metabolism experiment experience
- Experience mentoring junior scientists
- Technologically savvy; experience with Google Suite, data manipulation/analysis software, Slack, Smartsheets, ELNs, and LIMS
Physical Requirements and Special Demands:
- Required standing or sitting for several hours straight at a time.
- Must be able to talk, listen, and speak clearly on telephone and via video conferencing for several hours each day.
Starting salary range: $85,000 to $95,000, depending on prior work experience.
This range represents the low and high end of the anticipated base salary range for this position.
Our base salary is just one component of Biobot’s competitive total rewards strategy that also includes equity awards and other region-specific health and welfare benefits
Please see below for more information about Biobot, including our benefits overview, company background, and employment eligibility requirements.
Employment Eligibility
We are unable to sponsor work visas at this time.
Additionally, we are currently only accepting applicants from the states listed below. You will be asked to confirm your location in your application to help us determine your eligibility for this position.
Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin
Our Benefits
Health Coverage
Free medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families, including a $0 deductible medical plan. We want our employees to manage their health and that of their families without worrying about high premiums or deductibles.
Self Care
Unlimited PTO with 3 week minimum. Whether it's playing MTG or D&D, singing on stage, camping, raising chickens, or anything else that inspires, we want our employees to unplug and explore their passions.
Biobabies
12 weeks parental leave at 100% pay. We love Biobabies and know that bonding with a new child is a critical need for employees and Biobabies alike.
Savings
3% Biobot 401k contribution. Regardless of whether our employees contribute, we contribute 3% of salaries into participating employees' 401k accounts because we want to support their long-term financial goals.
Workspace
Onsite or at home, we ensure our employees' workspace is set up for success through generous home office stipend for remote employees, free parking or commuter benefits and on-site meals for lab employees.
About Biobot
At Biobot, we are working together to build a team environment in which everyone can thrive and is proud to belong. We are an equal opportunity employer and our goal is to be a diverse team that is representative, at all job levels, of the society we live in. We encourage applications from candidates of all identities and backgrounds, including those who are traditionally underrepresented in technology startups.
Our mission is to transform wastewater infrastructure into public health observatories.
Named as one of Fast Company’s most innovative companies in the world in 2021, Biobot Analytics is a wastewater epidemiology company and uses technology developed at MIT to measure biomarkers in sewage to better understand population health in cities. We first launched an opioid product to support government and public health officials in responding to the opioid epidemic, and in 2020 launched a Covid19 product to estimate the scope and trend of the outbreak in communities. We have operated in almost 500 communities across 43 U.S. states, generating Covid19 case estimates for over 13% of the U.S. population.
Battling the opioid epidemic and now the Covid19 pandemic is just the beginning - we’re transforming sewage into a data asset and building a public health database. Eventually, Biobot data will be an early warning system for disease outbreaks, a map of nutrition disparities, and more. Headquartered in the Boston area with an office in NYC, we aim to create the bedrock of human health infrastructure and smart cities in countries across all six continents.
Please visit our website at www.biobot.io