Associate Scientist II, MSAT

Strand Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering programmable mRNA therapeutics to unlock the full potential of genetic medicines. Strand is applying its proprietary Signal Stack platform, which integrates Ever Script circular RNA, AmpliScript self-replicating RNA, Signal Path targeted delivery, and logic-driven Signal Lock genetic circuits to enable precise control of therapeutic activity across tissues and cell types and overcome foundational limitations in targeting, durability, and safety.

Strand is advancing a pipeline with an initial focus on oncology and autoimmune disease. Its initial program, STX-001, an intratumorally delivered LNP-encapsulated self-replicating RNA expressing IL-12, has demonstrated preliminary evidence of systemic immune activation and anti-tumor activity in patients with advanced solid tumors who have progressed on prior therapies. Building on this early clinical validation, intravenously delivered STX-003 is designed for tumor-targeted expression and avoidance of off-target expression.

STX-003, which is expected to enter the clinic in mid-2026, has the potential to be a major step forward for the fields of genetic medicine and oncology. Strand is also advancing STX-005, an in vivoCAR-T program designed to enable controlled, durable expression and repeat dosing. Founded by MIT synthetic biology pioneers, Strand has raised over $250 million and is headquartered in Boston, MA.

Job Summary:

Strand is looking for people who have the enthusiasm and motivation to be a highly contributing member of a small but extremely productive team. This opportunity will offer the employee the ability to work in a matrix-based environment and be a part of the future strategy of the company.

We are looking for a highly motivated and innovative candidate for the role of Associate Scientist II of MSAT. The expectation is that the Associate Scientist II will have experience prior supporting preclinical and clinical-stage manufacturing processes within the gene and/or cell therapies space. Reporting to the Senior Scientist of MSAT, the right candidate will be a strategic thinker that brings a leadership presence and enthusiasm for Strand along with a desire to conquer new challenges.

• Support the execution, continuous improvement, and maturation of Strand’s preclinical and clinical-stage manufacturing processes.
• Perform lab-scale RNA and lipid nanoparticle production and analytical testing to evaluate process improvements, troubleshoot technology transfer and manufacturing challenges, improve process robustness, and support process scale-up.
• Author technical protocols and reports documenting experimental procedures, results, and conclusions.
• Collaborate with Process Development, Analytical Development, Automation, and Quality teams to advance Strand’s manufacturing programs.
• Partner with external technical counterparts to support ongoing tech transfer and manufacturing activities.

• B.S. or Advanced Degree in Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering or related field, with 2+ years of working experience in RNA and/or LNP process improvement, manufacturing and/or optimization at a biotech.
• Experience collecting, analyzing, and interpreting experimental data to evaluate process performance and support technical conclusions.
• Experience with process development, scale-up, technology transfer, manufacturing support, and process troubleshooting. Experience contributing to process characterization or later-stage development activities is a plus.
• Experience optimizing and troubleshooting enzymatic reactions, chromatographic purification, TFF, and other filtration methods for biologics.
• Familiarity with ÄKTA…