Research Associate, Lab Automation (San Diego)

Job Title: Research Associate, Lab Automation

Location: San Diego, CA (Onsite)

Position Type: Full-Time

About Us

Headquartered in San Diego, California, we are an early-stage, well-funded Biotech company specializing in innovative drug discovery solutions. Our proprietary 3D organ-on-a-chip platform, Curiochips, offers significant advantages in accurately recapitulating both normal and disease states of the human body. This capability has been validated through multiple ongoing collaborations with hospitals, government institutions, and major pharmaceutical companies.

Our Mission

At Qureator Inc., we are committed to revolutionizing the drug discovery process. Our mission is driven by the Qureator platform's unparalleled ability to replicate complex disease phenotypes, surpassing the limitations of traditional preclinical models. By bridging the gap between laboratory research and real patient outcomes, we aim to accelerate the development of treatments for a wide range of conditions, from cancers to rare diseases.

Position Overview

We are seeking a motivated Research Associate to join our engineering team in San Diego and help build out our lab automation capabilities. In this role, you will support the setup, operation, and maintenance of new automation equipment (ex. liquid handlers) and workcells while partnering closely with biologists to prepare and run experiments. You'll spend meaningful time on both the automation/engineering side and hands-on lab work, so you'll need enough biology background to understand what happens at the bench and enough technical aptitude to help automate it.

What You Will Gain

• Technical proficiency: Learn to set up, operate, and maintain advanced automation equipment and workcells that drive our drug discovery pipelines.
• Hands-on expertise: Work directly with cutting-edge 3D organ-on-a-chip platforms and new laboratory automation systems.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Engage in active problem-solving with a multidisciplinary team of engineers, biologists, and data scientists.
• Career advancement: Accelerate your professional development in a dynamic environment, growing your skills alongside the company.

Responsibilities will include but not be limited to:

• Automation Support: Assist in the setup, operation, and routine maintenance of laboratory automation equipment and integrated workcells.
• Experiment Preparation & Execution: Prepare reagents, samples, and cell cultures for experiments, and carry out cell- and reagent-handling protocols with careful data collection.
• Workflow Development: Help prototype, test, and optimize automated laboratory workflows.
• Troubleshooting: Assist in identifying and resolving basic hardware, software, and workflow issues on automation instrumentation, escalating more complex problems as needed.
• Documentation: Keep clear records of experiments, equipment maintenance, and workflow procedures.

Qualifications

Required

• B.S. or M.S. in bioengineering, cell/molecular biology, or a related scientific or engineering discipline.
• 1-3 years of hands-on mammalian cell culture in a research setting, including aseptic technique and routine assay preparation.
• Basic programming or scripting familiarity (e.g., Python) and comfort using AI tools to streamline workflows.
• Genuine interest in automation and process improvement.
• Demonstrated comfort troubleshooting instruments or workflows independently.

Preferred

• Some hands-on exposure to laboratory automation or liquid handling systems (e.g., Hamilton, Integra, Tecan, Beckman, or similar)
• Familiarity with automation scheduling software or instrument integration concepts.
• Exposure to 3D organoid or organ-on-a-chip culture systems.
• Experience with CAD or equivalent software.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits
• Dynamic, cross-functional team culture
• Paid time off