Scientist, Assay Development (Contractor) (AI Drug Discovery)

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. This is a 9-month contractor role with working hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Company

hirify.global is a clinical-stage TechBio company using AI, automation, and biological data to advance drug discovery and develop medicines across multiple therapeutic areas.

What you will do

• Develop, optimize, and validate cell-based and biochemical assays for automated high-throughput screening platforms.
• Execute assay workflows at scale across challenging human cell types while monitoring defined quality metrics and identifying deviations.
• Analyze experimental data, validate processes, troubleshoot systems, and drive improvements in assay performance.
• Document methods, results, and protocols so workflows can be transferred and run reliably by other users.
• Collaborate with biologists, assay development associates, data scientists, software engineers, automation engineers, and supply chain partners.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.Sc. in Biology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or a related field, with 3+ years of relevant industry or laboratory experience.
• Hands-on experience developing and optimizing cell-based or biochemical assays, including mammalian cell culture and aseptic technique.
• Working knowledge of transfection, nucleic acid and protein handling, and plate-based readouts.
• Experience with automated laboratory instruments such as liquid handlers, plate readers, and imagers in 384- and 1536-well formats.
• Ability to work independently with general direction, learn new techniques and instrumentation quickly, and maintain consistent electronic laboratory documentation.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with assay qualification and statistical quality metrics such as Z', signal-to-background, CV, and dose-response fitting.
• Experience using Python, R, or equivalent computational tools for data analysis.
• Experience with CRISPR, RNAi, transcriptomics, proteomics, primary cells, or iPSC-derived cell models.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in a cross-functional environment focused on collaboration, open communication, independent thinking, and continuous improvement.
• Apply creativity and scientific judgment to early-stage drug discovery in a fast-paced setting.
• Contribute to a mission focused on using AI and automation to improve the development of medicines.
• Operate within a culture centered on integrity, ownership, accountability, adaptability, urgency, and cross-functional teamwork.