Sr. Research Associate/Scientist, Molecular Biology

Location: Alameda, CA, USA; full-time onsite role. Must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without company sponsorship.

Salary: USD 80,000–130,000 annually.

Company

hirify.global is a biotechnology company using precision fermentation to develop functional fats and oils for health, wellness, and quality-of-life applications.

What you will do

• Design, execute, and troubleshoot molecular biology and genetic engineering experiments to alter microbial metabolism and improve strain productivity, yield, and production of novel molecules.
• Use bioinformatics and DNA sequence analysis to design constructs and validate engineered strains.
• Analyze experimental results with statistical tools, document work in Benchling, present findings, and design follow-up experiments.
• Develop and refine genetic tools by identifying bottlenecks, improving efficiency, and incorporating techniques from scientific literature.
• Collaborate with Strain Improvement, Bioinformatics, Fermentation Development, and Analytical teams to assess strain-engineering impacts and support project decisions.
• Use automated liquid-handling robots for high-throughput tasks and assist with technical documentation for IP and regulatory filings.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with 3–6 years of relevant industry experience, or a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, or a related discipline. The title will depend on education, relevant experience, technical depth, and demonstrated independence.
• Experience with standard molecular biology and molecular genetics techniques, including PCR, qRT-PCR, cloning, library screening, and DNA and RNA purification.
• Hands-on experience constructing, validating, and screening engineered bacterial, fungal, or microalgal strains, or mammalian cell lines, for novel molecule production and improved productivity and yield.
• Ability to plan experiments, troubleshoot technical problems, interpret results, and determine appropriate next steps with increasing independence according to experience and role level.
• Strong understanding of basic biochemistry, especially metabolism and strain engineering.
• Ability to manage large datasets and draw conclusions from them.
• Excellent written, oral communication, and presentation skills, with experience communicating scientific results, conclusions, and recommendations to technical collaborators and management.
• Experience working in cross-functional teams and commitment to laboratory safety.
• Legal authorization to work full-time in the United States without company sponsorship.

Nice to have

• Experience developing new, robust screening tools and transformation strategies.

Culture & Benefits

• Team-oriented, collaborative environment focused on scientific problem solving.
• Competitive benefits and compensation package.