Scientist R&D – Immunohistochemistry (IHC) & Histology
POSITION SUMMARY
Natera is seeking a highly motivated Scientist, R&D – Immunohistochemistry (IHC) & Histology to join the Oncology Product Development team. This role will focus on the development, optimization, verification, and validation of IHC and tissue-based workflows supporting oncology products and clinical assay development.
The ideal candidate will have strong hands-on experience in IHC assay development and optimization, supported by a solid foundation in histology and FFPE tissue workflows. Experience with automated IHC/ISH staining platforms, particularly the Roche BenchMark ULTRA IHC/ISH System, is highly desirable. Experience with NGS and molecular biology workflows is an additional plus.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Design and execute development, optimization, verification, and validation studies for IHC, histology, and tissue-based workflows.
Develop and optimize IHC assays, including antibody selection and titration, antigen retrieval, staining conditions, controls, and assay performance assessment.
Evaluate and optimize histology and pre-analytical variables, including tissue fixation, FFPE processing, embedding, sectioning, H&E staining, and slide preparation.
Develop and troubleshoot workflows on automated IHC/ISH staining platforms and investigate staining artifacts, reagent performance, tissue quality, and assay variability.
Plan and execute moderate- to high-complexity experiments; analyze and interpret results using tools such as Excel, JMP, and image-analysis approaches.
Collaborate with Pathology, Clinical Laboratory Operations, Quality, Automation, and other cross-functional teams to transfer R&D methods into robust clinical laboratory workflows.
Author study protocols, development/validation reports, SOPs, and transfer documentation, and provide technical guidance and training during implementation.
Communicate project progress, experimental findings, risks, and recommendations to project teams and stakeholders.
QUALIFICATIONS
Ph.D. in Pathology, Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or a related field with a minimum of 2 years of relevant industry experience; or a Master's degree with a minimum of 5 years of relevant industry experience; or a Bachelor's degree with a 6-8+ years of relevant industry experience.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Strong hands-on expertise in IHC assay development, optimization, and troubleshooting, with solid knowledge of histology and FFPE tissue workflows.
Experience with antibody characterization/titration, antigen retrieval, staining optimization, controls, tissue morphology, and assay performance evaluation.
Experience with automated IHC/ISH platforms is highly preferred; hands-on experience with the Roche BenchMark ULTRA IHC/ISH System is a strong plus.
Experience with H&E staining, microtomy/tissue sectioning, microscopy, digital pathology, or image analysis is desirable.
NGS and molecular biology experience is a plus, particularly with FFPE nucleic acid extraction, PCR/qPCR, NGS library preparation, or hybrid capture workflows.
Experience with assay development and validation in a regulated clinical laboratory, molecular diagnostics, or LDT environment is preferred.
Ability to independently design and execute experiments, interpret data, troubleshoot technical challenges, and determine appropriate next steps.
Strong technical writing, communication, collaboration, and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced R&D environment.
The pay range is listed and actual compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, years & depth of experience, certifications and specific office location. This may differ in other locations due to cost of labor considerations.
Remote USA
$125,000—$140,000 USD