Associate Scientist, R&D

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

Natera

Austin, TX

Hybrid

Posted April 9, 2026

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Associate Scientist within the Molecular Biology product development team will join a cross-functional team of scientists who are tasked with developing and advancing Natera’s oncology product portfolio.

The Associate scientist will be working with internal cross functional teams and investigating the feasibility of applying a variety of scientific principles and concepts to oncology diagnostics and monitoring space. The ideal candidate is a driven professional who maintains broad knowledge of state-of-the-art principles and theories with an in-depth understanding of applicability to oncology research. This position requires flexibility to work outside standard business hours, including some evenings and weekends, to address urgent issues, support high-priority projects, and maintain uninterrupted lab operations.

We are looking for a meticulous and dedicated scientist with experience in both assay development and high throughput automation that can work effectively in a fast-paced environment to ensure that the highest quality clinical assays are developed and launched for our patients.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Design, develop, and validate automated high-throughput NGS assays that will be run in a commercial CLIA laboratory
Participate in post-launch surveillance by troubleshooting production issues, performing root cause analysis on automation, reagent, peripheral equipment and assay failures
Independently design and execute moderate to high complexity experiments
Collaborate with assay development scientists on the specifications of assay, reagent, equipment and quality metrics for existing and future production assays
Work with Clinical Laboratory and Quality Assurance to ensure that developed methods meet Natera’s rigorous quality standards
Coordinate across multiple internal groups (automation engineering, laboratory operations, bioinformatics, statistics, project and product management) and serve as point person to ensure the successful identification and timely execution of projects
Write documentation and SOPs, and train lab operations operators on protocols
Oversee validation activities
Identify areas for continuous improvement and actively contribute to the effort of introducing better practices to improve production workflows and shorten TAT for patient samples

QUALIFICATIONS:

BA/BS with 6 years experience or MS with 3 years experience in assay development and automation for the genomics
Demonstrated track record of development and validation of automated protocols for CLIA

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Strong understanding of the chemistry underlying nucleic acid extraction, PCR, NGS library preparation, and hybrid capture technologies
Hands-on experience in reagent preparation and quality control for NGS-based assays
Experience implementing, optimizing, and troubleshooting high-throughput automated assays utilizing liquid handler robots
Data analysis (JMP) required, coding skills (Python or R) are a plus
Strong individual contributor as well as dedicated team player
Experience designing and executing studies including stability, guard banding, reproducibility and repeatability, and validation
Experience working in a regulated laboratory environment under CLIA/CAP, NYSDOH, IVD is a plus
Excellent communication, organizational, record-keeping, planning, attention to detail and time management skills
Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with other groups (CLIA, lab operations QA, Automation, Research)

The pay range is listed and actual compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, years & depth of experience, certifications and specific office location. This may differ in other locations due to cost of labor considerations.

Austin, TX

$84,000pythongoawsaidataproductdesign