Element Biosciences · 5 hours ago
Senior Scientist – Applications, Drug Screening and Discovery
San Diego, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$125K/yr - $165K/yr
5+ years expElement Biosciences is dedicated to empowering the scientific community, and they are seeking a Senior Scientist to lead and advance drug discovery and screening programs. This role involves establishing and optimizing screening platforms, focusing on optical pooled screening and spatial multiomics technologies, while driving innovation in target identification and therapeutic discovery.
BiotechnologyGeneticsHealth DiagnosticsLife Science
Responsibilities
Lead design, development, and optimization of optical pooled screening platforms for large-scale functional genomics and drug discovery
Establish spatial multiomics workflows (transcriptomics, proteomics, imaging) to characterize drug mechanisms and disease biology
Develop and validate high-throughput, high-content screening assays and optimize CRISPR-based perturbation technologies
Design and execute screening campaigns to identify therapeutic targets and validate drug candidates
Integrate multi-omic datasets to drive biological insights and inform discovery strategy
Collaborate across disciplines to advance compounds and define mechanism of action, resistance, and biomarkers
Serve as a subject matter expert in optical pooled screening, spatial biology, and functional genomics
Evaluate and implement emerging screening technologies; contribute to strategic planning and technology investment
Represent the company externally, contribute to publications, and support IP filings
Analyze complex, high-dimensional screening and spatial profiling datasets
Build analytical pipelines and visualizations in partnership with computational biology teams, ensuring data quality and reproducibility
Partner with biology, chemistry, translational, and clinical teams to align screening strategies with program goals
Mentor junior scientists, communicate findings to diverse audiences, and foster a collaborative, high-excellence R&D environment
Qualification
Required
PhD in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Chemical Biology, Pharmacology, Genomics, or related field
5–7+ years postdoctoral industry experience with demonstrated scientific leadership
Hands-on expertise in optical pooled screening and spatial multiomics (e.g., spatial transcriptomics or proteomics)
Strong background in high-throughput/high-content screening, CRISPR-based functional genomics, and complex assay development
Proven cross-functional collaboration in advancing drug discovery programs
Expert cell-based assay, cell biology, and molecular biology skills
Proficiency with high-content imaging and analysis; familiarity with automation and liquid handling
Solid understanding of drug discovery workflows from target ID to hit-to-lead
Bioinformatics/computational skills (R, Python); experience with single-cell and multi-omic data integration
Knowledge of machine learning in screening; experience with primary cells, organoids, or complex models
Strong publication and presentation record, with contributions to patents or novel methods
Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving and communication skills
Able to work independently and collaboratively with strong organizational and project management abilities
Committed to scientific rigor, data quality, and continuous learning
Ability to lift to 20 pounds
The position requires physical activity associated with molecular biology routines and the handling of chemicals
Candidates are required to follow the safety protocols and be familiar with personal protective equipment (PPE) while working in the laboratory environment
Benefits
Stock options
Discretionary annual bonus
No cost health insurance plans
401k with company match
Flexible paid time off
Company
Element Biosciences
Element Biosciences is a life science company that focuses on developing innovative genetic analysis tools.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Element Biosciences has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (4)
2024 (4)
2023 (7)
2022 (8)
2021 (1)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$678MKey Investors
Wellington ManagementVenrock
2024-07-11Series D· $277M
2021-06-29Series C· $276M
2020-06-26Series B· $30M
Leadership Team
Danae Van Oene
Senior Vice President, Global Sales and Support
Edwin Hauw
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Product Management
Recent News
2025-12-12
2025-11-14
Company data provided by crunchbase