Senior Research Associate, Discovery

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Research Associate (Contract) to support our discovery efforts in cellular immunology and RNA-based therapeutics. The ideal candidate will be self-driven, energetic, and detail-oriented, with demonstrated expertise in cellular immunology and flow cytometry. In this role, you will execute established assays, contribute to the development of new in vitro and ex vivo methods, and support in vivo model development using our RNA delivery platform. This work will advance programs focused on immunological diseases, including cancer and autoimmunity. This contract position reports to a Senior Scientist on the Drug Discovery team and offers an exciting opportunity to make an immediate impact on a growing portfolio of next-generation RNA medicines.

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Execute and develop cellular assays with primary human, murine, and NHP cells including cell culture, flow cytometry, cell stimulation, and multiplexed cytokine readouts to test the potency of various platform modalities
• Participate in ex vivo tissue processing and downstream analysis from mouse and NHP experiments
• Demonstrate ability to identify scientific and technical problems and potential solutions
• Organizational responsibilities within the group such as curating inventories, managing ordering, and maintaining culture of immortalized cell lines
• Maintain a well written, accurate, and timely electronic notebook
• Work collaboratively within the team and across the organization
• Communicate findings regularly in meetings at both the team and inter-department level

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific discipline with at least 3-4 years work experience or Master's degree with at least 2-3 years work experience (title will be commensurate with experience)
• Proficiency with BSL2 aseptic technique and the culture of immortalized cell lines and primary human immune cells
• Experience with primary cell isolation from human and mouse whole blood and tissues
• Strong hands-on experience with standard immunological assays including but not limited to multicolor flow cytometry, ELISpot, cytokine profiling (MSD/Luminex/ELISA), and imaging (Incucyte)
• Experience with transfection (LNP/Electroporation) of primary cells and cell lines and gene editing using CRISPR/Cas9
• Ability to plan and execute complex primary cell-based assays and analyze data with some supervision
• Excellent organizational, record keeping, oral and written communication skills, efficient time management, and a high degree of flexibility

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in human and mouse immunology and experience with RNA therapeutics
• Familiarity with the culture and expansion of primary human and murine T cells as well as use in co-culture cytotoxicity assays
• Experience with processing NHP samples for downstream analysis
• Experience with high-throughput screening and assay miniaturization using liquid handlers (plate washers/Viaflo/Tecan)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, GraphPad Prism, and FlowJo applications

Why Orna? At Orna Therapeutics, we're more than just a workplace—we're a community. We believe in fostering an environment where individuals can grow, thrive, and make a lasting impact on the future of healthcare. Join us as we revolutionize RNA therapeutics and make a difference in the lives of patients around the world.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Individuals seeking employment at Orna Therapeutics are considered without regards to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. 

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*Orna is unable to sponsor work authorization for contract roles.