Research Associate III

TGen, the Translational Genomics Research Institute, a part of City of Hope is located in Phoenix, AZ. At TGen, we are setting a new medical standard where the future of medicine is happening now. We are pioneers in deciphering the story a person’s genome has to tell. For individuals faced with a serious diagnosis, our scientists and clinicians have the ability to let a patients’ genome reveal its uniqueness in ways that are both powerful and transformative, especially when it comes to treating disease in a precise and individual manner.

TGen has had an important and highly positive impact in understanding the molecular drivers in cancer and other diseases and disorders, but more importantly, has been among the world’s leaders in applying this knowledge toward the treatment of patients.

By strategically aligning ourselves with first-in-class medical providers, TGen provides direct benefit to those patients faced with limited options. A hallmark of TGen is our belief that by utilizing the latest technologies and collaborating with the strongest of partners, we can develop better tools to increase our understanding of complex diseases and to better predict which treatments might be most effective, i.e., one-of-a-kind clinical trials (the right drug, at the right dose, at the right time).

TGen’s translational approach and our experience at leveraging genomic information in support of achieving more precise and personalized treatments augments your work in ways other institutes cannot. Our affiliation with City of Hope allows you to integrate your work with a growing health system committed to research with highest potential for improvements in patient care. In short, our science-led business-supported approach means there’s no better place to move your research forward.

If you’re looking for a job with purpose, you’ll find it at TGen.

TGen's Collaborative Sequencing Center (CSC) provides next generation sequencing services for internal and external investigators and our goal is to help expedite translational research. The CSC provides a variety of services from DNA and RNA isolation, sequencing library construction, and sequencing on industry leading platforms (Illumina NovaSeq X Plus and miSeq-100, PacBio Revio, Oxford Nanopore PromethION, and Element Aviti).

The CSC is looking for a motivated, organized, and detail-oriented individual to participate in the completion of collaborative sequencing projects. Completion of projects can involve manual or robotic nucleic acid extractions, sequencing library preparation, loading and maintaining sequencing instruments, detailed record-keeping using a laboratory information management system, evaluation of pre- and post-sequencing quality control metrics.

This Research Associate Level II or III position requires skill in a range of molecular biology techniques, operation of standard lab equipment and sequencing instruments. This person will need to communicate effectively with all levels of staff to ensure that data integrity and team goals are met, and will need to be comfortable with multitasking.

Responsibilities are focused on the sequencing data generation, which is heavily reliant on being skilled in the lab and having excellent problem solving/reasoning skills.

• Generate data for research and experimental purposes following established research procedures.
• Develop and optimize assays for sequencing applications, and perform detailed documentation.
• Candidate will be responsible for planning, execution, QC analysis of study and communication with other groups involved in study.
• This candidate will also be responsible for training of others.
• Perform troubleshooting and maintenance on laboratory equipment.
• Work closely with lab director, lab manager, CSC lab staff, informatics staff, field service engineers, and instrument technical service specialists when needed.
• Perform general laboratory duties.
• Research literature related to projects as needed.
• Assist in safety and lab equipment training, protocols, data analysis, and presentations.
• Participate in lab meetings by updating lab of progress, results, and future goals/studies.
• Training of TGen staff on the proper usage of shared resources. 

We are a human-centric organization that translates to our employees. Some of the perks in working for us:

• BC/BS of Arizona health coverage.
• Dental, Vision, Life, Short and Long Term Disability
• Top notch EAP with a full scope of concierge type services
• 401k with 6% match
• Generous time off
• Commuter benefits
• Much, much more!

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in a science-related field (Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Genetics) 
• Minimum of two years of working experience in a lab after graduation 
• Strong communication skills, the ability to read and write scientifically, 
• Excellent organization and record-keeping skills, and critical thinking skills are needed. 
• Requires familiarity with a variety of the field's concepts, practices, and procedures and experience with standard laboratory equipment. 
• Clear experience in molecular biology 
• Experience with next-generation sequencing methods is not required but would be a strong asset for an applicant. 
• Must be comfortable using Microsoft Office products or comparable software. 
• Special consideration will be given to applicants with prior experience in a sequencing lab or high-throughput laboratories.
• Candidate should be independent enough to manage his/her own projects once properly trained.