Job Title: Associate Scientist
Location: Thousand Oaks, CA; 91320
Duration: 12-month assignment with possible extension depending on business needs
 
This is a fully onsite laboratory position requiring daily onsite presence.
Approximately 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM with 1-hour lunch break


Description:
Ideal candidate will have 2–3+ years of hands-on wet lab experience supporting viral vector or cell culture workflows within either industry or strong academic research environments. Strong preference for candidates with experience in viral vector systems (AAV, lentiviral, adenoviral), mammalian cell culture, sterile/aseptic laboratory technique, and general laboratory execution skills. Experience with protein purification and AKTA systems is highly preferred but can be trained for candidates with strong foundational lab experience. Candidates should be comfortable working in a fast-paced onsite laboratory environment with minimal ramp-up time. Profiles heavily focused on computational biology, bioinformatics, theoretical research, or lacking practical wet lab experience will not be competitive.

We are seeking a highly motivated Contract Worker (CW) Associate Scientist to support research activities focused on viral vector production and characterization, including both adeno-associated virus (AAV) and lentiviral (LV) platforms. The successful candidate will contribute to laboratory-based experimental workflows involving mammalian cell culture, protein purification, molecular and cellular characterization assays, and vector-related analytical techniques.

This role requires strong hands-on laboratory skills, attention to detail, and the ability to quickly learn and implement new experimental techniques in a fast-paced research environment. The candidate will be expected to maintain accurate and timely electronic laboratory notebook documentation and collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

This is a fully onsite laboratory position requiring daily onsite presence.

Primary Must-Have Skills:
• Hands-on sterile laboratory technique experience
• Mammalian cell culture experience
• Aseptic laboratory practices
• Viral vector experience strongly preferred, specifically:
o AAV
o Lentiviral systems
o Adenoviral systems
• Protein purification experience preferred
• Experience operating AKTA purification systems preferred
• General wet lab laboratory experience required

Education & Experience Preferences
• Preferred: Master’s degree
• Acceptable: Bachelor’s degree with relevant experience
• Preferred Experience Level:
o Approximately 2–3 years of laboratory experience
o Industry experience preferred, but strong academic research/internship experience will also be considered
• Manager emphasized preference for candidates with prior practical laboratory work to minimize extensive onboarding/training.
Top 3 Must have skill sets:
1. Hands-on experience with sterile mammalian cell culture and laboratory aseptic techniques.
2. Experience with viral vectors, including AAV and/or lentiviral systems.
3. Proficiency in protein purification and characterization techniques, including operation of AKTA systems.
4. Experience with analytical and cell-based assays such as Western blotting and Flow cytometry.

Day to day responsibilities:
Key Responsibilities:
1. Perform sterile mammalian cell culture and support viral vector production workflows for AAV and lentiviral systems.
2. Execute protein purification and characterization experiments using AKTA systems and related analytical methods.
3. Conduct molecular and cellular assays including Western blotting, Flow cytometry, and other vector characterization techniques.
4. Maintain accurate electronic laboratory notebooks and document experimental procedures and results in compliance with laboratory standards.
5. Learn and implement new laboratory techniques and contribute to optimization of experimental workflows.
6. Support general laboratory operations, organization, and maintenance.

Red Flags:
1. No evidence of sterile technique or routine cell culture work.
2. No and/or minimal wet-laboratory experiences.
Resume mentions AAV, lentivirus, flow cytometry, AKTA, etc., but descriptions are vague (“exposed to,” “familiar with”) without specific experiments, outputs, or responsibilities.
3. Excessive focus on computational/theoretical work.
Candidates whose experience is primarily bioinformatics, literature review, or data analysis may struggle in a highly hands-on onsite lab role.
4. Short job durations or multiple brief lab positions without clear progression
Can indicate reliability or retention concerns for a CW role requiring training investment.
  
 
At SPECTRAFORCE, we are committed to maintaining a workplace that ensures fair compensation and wage transparency in adherence with all applicable state and local laws. This position’s starting pay is: $ 25.06/hr.