Senior Scientist, Assay Development; Automation

About Glyphic:

At Glyphic Biotechnologies, we plan to create the protein revolution for which scientists and researchers have been waiting. We are developing a massively parallel, single-molecule proteome sequencing platform that will transform life science discovery and usher in a new era of insights into human biology and disease. To date, we have raised >$80M from venture partners and non-dilutive grant funding to achieve our vision of next generation proteome sequencing.

We are seeking an experienced, hands‑on Assay Development Scientist to design and perform experiments that enable the next generation of sensitive, accurate, and scalable single‑molecule protein sequencing. Reporting to the Director of Assay Development, you will leverage your molecular biology and nucleic acid biochemistry expertise to design, optimize and troubleshoot complex peptide and DNA preparation workflows for nanopore sequencing.

A core dimension of this role is translating manual bench workflows into robust and scalable automated protocols. You will be the primary liaison between assay development and automation engineering — defining workflow parameters, specifying liquid‑handling requirements, and executing biological verification studies on multi‑instrument automated systems. You will set the requirements, validate the outcomes, and own the scientific documentation.

This is a full‑time, exempt, in‑person position with work conducted at our Berkeley, CA location.

• Develop, optimize, and transfer complex assay workflows onto automated liquid handling systems and integrated work cells — including high‑throughput functional, molecular, chemical, and enzymological assays.
• Partner with automation engineers to translate assay requirements into precise workflow parameters, liquid‑handling specifications, and biological acceptance criteria; ensure that implemented protocols meet performance specifications.
• Define critical assay conditions and contribute to experimental design for ProSE studies and multi‑cycle sequencing runs, serving as the scientific voice in automation development discussions.
• Design and execute experiments that bridge chemistry and molecular biology; develop a mechanistic understanding of how reagents, materials, environmental conditions, and platform choices impact assay outcomes; evaluate assay sensitivity and robustness across varying inputs.
• Bring fit‑for‑purpose thinking and creative flexibility to protocol development — balancing robustness and reproducibility with the adaptability needed to respond as scientific questions, platform capabilities as project requirements evolve.
• Collaborate with the Automation team to identify and resolve throughput bottlenecks, leveraging workflow design, work cell configuration, and reagent selection to enable scalable end‑to‑end assay operations.
• Execute process qualification and optimization studies on automated assay platforms; generate and analyze performance data, identify failure modes, and communicate results to cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Distinguish biology‑driven failures (such as enzyme activity loss, reagent degradation, or template secondary structure effects) from hardware or software issues on automated platforms; communicate root‑cause findings to automation engineers and implement corrective actions on the assay side.
• Author and maintain SOPs, technical guides, and verification documentation for both manual and automated peptide and DNA preparation workflows, written to a standard suitable for handoff to automation engineers and for onboarding new team members.

• Advanced degree in chemical biology, biochemistry, molecular biology or a related field
• Industry experience developing and transferring complex, multi‑step assay workflows onto automated liquid handling platforms.
• MS/PhD with 6+/4+ years of experience (for Senior Scientist)
• MS/PhD with 8+/6+ years of experience (for Staff Scientist)
• Deep expertise in molecular biology, biochemistry, and protein and nucleic acid characterization techniques.
• Hands‑on experience designing, optimizing, and troubleshooting multistep assay workflows…