Senior Research Associate, HPC Production (Fixed-Term Contract)

About Arc Institute

Arc Institute is an independent nonprofit research organization at the interface of artificial intelligence and biology, working to accelerate scientific progress and understand the root causes of complex diseases. Founded in 2021 and based in Palo Alto, Arc partners with Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UC San Francisco.

Unlike academia, our scientists have long-term funding and industry-like resources. Unlike industry, they're free to pursue high-risk, long-term research without commercial pressures. Arc's Technology Centers and Core Investigator labs work side by side, integrating experimental and computational biology under one roof to tackle problems neither could solve alone.

Our two Institute Initiatives reflect this model in action:

• Virtual Cell Initiative: Building a full-stack virtual cell model to identify disease mechanisms and nominate drug targets, accelerating the path from biological insight to clinical trials.
• Alzheimer's Disease Initiative: Mapping the genes, pathways, and environmental factors behind Alzheimer's disease to develop drug candidates that address root causes.

More than 300 Arconauts work together at our Palo Alto headquarters, backed by substantial long-term philanthropic funding.

About the position

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Research Associate to join the Functional Genomics team within the Genome Engineering Technology Center at the Arc Institute. This will be a fixed-term, 12-month position. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

In this role, you will serve as a dedicated producer of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), differentiating both parental and genetically edited human stem cells to supply high-quality HPCs for downstream research across multiple Tech Center teams. Your work will directly enable large-scale perturbation screening efforts that power Arc's Virtual Cell Initiative and Alzheimer's Disease Initiative.

This is a production-focused role centered on planning, consistency, and throughput. You will routinely execute staggered weekly rounds of HPC production, working ahead of demand by coordinating with requesting teams, scaling each round to meet projected needs, and maintaining the reagent and consumable stocks required to keep production uninterrupted. With every lot, you will perform and document quality control assessments to ensure that the cells delivered meet defined standards set by the requesting teams. Beyond routine production, you will contribute to process optimization efforts aimed at further scaling output and reducing lot-to-lot variability.

The ideal candidate is experienced in human stem cell culture and large-scale HPC differentiation, and proficient in a range of cellular, molecular, and functional quality-assessment methods. They execute and troubleshoot independently, with outstanding attention to detail and a commitment to dependable, reproducible work. They communicate proactively across teams and bring a continuous-improvement mindset to a high-volume cell culture workflow.

About you

• You take pride in producing consistent, high-quality results on a predictable schedule.
• You are diligent, meticulous, and committed to thorough documentation and good record-keeping practices.
• You are organized and plan ahead, keeping workflows, reagents, and timelines on track.
• You respect the process and are comfortable with routine execution while continuously identifying opportunities to troubleshoot and address bottlenecks.
• You communicate proactively and enjoy coordinating across teams to anticipate and meet demand.
• You thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, team-science environment.

In this position you will

• Execute staggered weekly rounds of hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) production and banking with different human stem cell lines (e.g., parental and genetically edited) to support downstream research teams.
• Perform quality control (QC) assessments for each lot, which may involve flow cytometry, molecular, and functional assays, and ensure that delivered cells meet defined acceptance criteria defined by the requesting teams.
• Perform troubleshooting on failed productions, escalate and reschedule as needed to maintain supply continuity.
• Coordinate cross-functionally to forecast demand in advance, scaling each round of production accordingly to meet the projected needs of requesting teams.
• Maintain rigorous, organized documentation of production runs, QC outcomes, and cell distribution in our ELN/LIMS systems.
• Maintain inventory of key reagents, media, and consumables to ensure uninterrupted production, including proactive procurements.
• Establish, refine, and run an efficient end-to-end cell production platform spanning demand intake to final delivery.
• Contribute to process optimization efforts aimed at improving the scale, quality and lot-to-lot consistency of HPC production.

Requirements

• BS/MS degree in cell biology or related field with 4+/2+ years of relevant work experience. Industry or core-facility experience in cell production is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in mammalian cell culture procedures and associated aseptic techniques, including direct hands-on experience with human stem cell (hESC/iPSC) maintenance and HPC differentiation at scale.
• Demonstrated ability to execute reproducible, multi-step differentiation protocols consistently across repeated rounds.
• Experience performing and documenting QC assessments, which include flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, and colony-formation assays.
• Attention to detail and a track record of delivering high-quality work consistently.
• Strong organizational, planning, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage staggered production schedules and anticipate demand.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to coordinate effectively across teams.
• Flexibility to work on weekends as needed to accommodate production schedules.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing or leveraging automation for quality cell production at scale.
• Prior experience independently optimizing processes and workflows to improve cell yield and quality.
• Hands-on experience with multiple differentiation protocols.
• Experience working with stem cells of diverse genetic backgrounds (e.g., patient-derived iPSCs).
• Familiarity with reagent inventory, operations management and LIMS platform (e.g., Benchling).

The base salary range for this position is $84,250 to $114,250. These amounts reflect the range of base salary that the Institute reasonably would expect to pay a new hire or internal candidate for this position. The actual base compensation paid to any individual for this position may vary depending on factors such as experience, market conditions, education/training, skill level, and whether the compensation is internally equitable, and does not include bonuses, commissions, differential pay, other forms of compensation, or benefits.