Research Scientist at Fast-Paced Biotech Start-Up

Company:

Surf Therapeutics is a Austin, TX-based biotechnology start-up developing an at-home ultrasound therapy for treating autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. We are a small and passionate team, led by two co-founders: Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nishant Doctor, a seasoned engineer with 15 years of experience working in neuromodulation at Medtronic, Cyberonics, and Synchron; and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Alexander Sackeim, an emergency medicine physician at Stanford University and serial entrepreneur with several healthcare-focused startups.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a Research Scientist to lead our Immunology and proteomics efforts at Surf Therapeutics. In this role, you will manage our wet lab and perform critical assays to evaluate and develop our noninvasive ultrasound therapeutic platform for autoimmune disorders. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in proteomics and immunology, hands-on experience in high-throughput assays, and the ability to contribute to experimental design, data analysis, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Independently perform proteomics and immunoassays related to research projects under the guidance of senior team members.
• Detail-oriented and self-directed, with meticulous record keeping of lab experiments, protocols/SOPs, supplies, and most importantly, patient samples
• Hands-on experience in molecular biology (e.g., RT-qPCR, immunoassays like ELISA) and cell biology techniques.
• Conduct and optimize medium to high-throughput immunoassays, including ELISAs, and Meso-Scale Discovery (MSD) to assess immune responses and protein expression.
• Perform flow cytometry-based characterization of immune cells. Basic flow cytometry skills are required, and proficiency in multi-parametric experiments is preferred.
• Assist in the development and validation of experimental protocols, ensuring alignment with research objectives.
• Ensure experiments are conducted in a reproducible and scientifically rigorous manner, analyzing data promptly to support timely decision-making.
• Document and communicate experimental results to internal and cross-functional teams.
• Keep an inventory of and order all needed lab supplies and reagents

Qualifications:

• Education: Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field (e.g., Immunology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, etc.), or a Bachelor’s degree with at least 3 years of relevant post-bachelor’s work experience.
• Experience: Minimum 3 years of laboratory experience in a research environment, with a focus on immunoassays (e.g., ELISAs, MSD, flow cytometry). Prior experience or expertise in autoimmune diseases is preferred.

Skills:

• Able to plan and manage time independently and communicate remotely
• Proven ability to independently design, execute and optimize assays for biomarker analysis, such as ELISA, MSD, and flow cytometry
• Experience with multi-plex assays or next-generation proteomics techniques is a plus.
• Experience using Excel to manage data, perform basic statistical analyses (r^2, outlier identification, standard curve), and data visualization.
• Familiarity with advanced data analysis platforms (e.g., R, JUMP, FlowJo, GraphPad Prism) is a plus.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to present complex data.
• Strong team player with the ability to identify root causes of experimental issues, test and refine solutions, and enhance overall experimental design.
• Experience with lab documentation (scientific notebooks, experimental protocols, SOPs), safety protocols, basic lab and lab equipment maintenance, ordering and stocking lab supplies and reagents, and reagent preparation.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $60,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person