Research Associate

Research Associate - Biology & Chemistry C5R is building facilities that connect frontier AI to the physical world.We see this connection as a force for good in expanding humanity'stech tree. We are hiring hands-on experimentalists to run bench experiments acrossbiology and chemistry while helping build our in-house research facility inSan Francisco from the ground up. This is not a role focused on one narrow scientific question. It is abouttwo things at once: helping AI — from LLMs to domain-specific sciencemodels — get better at doing science, and building a facility thatstands up new protocols, assays, and experiments faster and moreautonomously over time. What You Will Do Run daily facility operations, including bench organization, inventory management, sample preparation, and routine assays or measurements. Run synthesis and characterization workflows across biology and chemistry: cell-free and cell-based protein expression, purification, and binding characterization; small-molecule synthesis, purification, and analytical chemistry. Set up and integrate an ever-growing instrument stack — thermocyclers, plate readers, fluorometers, gel electrophoresis, biolayer interferometry, surface plasmon resonance, nano-DSF, mass photometry, SEC-MALS, LC/MS, benchtop NMR, automated and acoustic liquid handling, and chromatography systems — so each can be run both by hand and autonomously, as we build toward a facility that runs more and more of biology and chemistry on its own. Help push the frontier of what the facility can do — higher-throughput protein and antibody campaigns, enzyme and functional assays, and sequencing-based readouts — building an ever-growing protocol library. Troubleshoot experiments, document results carefully, and iterate alongside AI systems as the scientist in the loop. Source and buy equipment, reagents, consumables, and supplies; set up instruments and improve facility infrastructure as we scale. Work with the engineering team to improve facility systems, data capture, robotic workflows, and experimental reliability. Jump into a wide range of evolving responsibilities as we build the facility while operating it. What We Are Looking For Hands-on lab experience in at least one relevant area: biology, chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, bioengineering, or a related experimental field. A year or more in a hands-on role — Research Associate, Associate Scientist, Lab Technician, Process Chemist, Scientist I, or similar. Undergraduates, BS or MS graduates, early PhD candidates, and people with equivalent practical experience can all be a strong fit, especially if you want to stay hands-on. Strong attention to detail, diligence, and pride in running experiments carefully. Comfort with ambiguity. We will not have standard operating procedures for everything yet, so you should enjoy turning uncertainty into a workable plan. Enthusiasm for doing science in a new way, and for working alongside AI systems as collaborators rather than just tools. Ability to work onsite in San Francisco. Nice To Have Experience working across both biology and chemistry. Experience in a startup, early lab, core facility, shared lab, or environment where you had to build processes from scratch. Interest in AI for science, self-driving labs, robotics, scientific infrastructure, or automated experimentation. Evidence that you can communicate clearly with engineers, scientists, and operators. Compensation And Terms $70,000-$100,000 annualized for full-time. Competitive equity package. Temporary stints of at least 3 months may be possible. This role is onsite in San Francisco only. #J-18808-Ljbffr