Senior Research Associate​/Associate Scientist, Synthetic Immunology

Department: Synthetic Immunology Reports to: Sr. Scientist Location: Onsite 5 days per week in Berkeley, CA

Employment Type: Full-time FLSA Status: Exempt Bonus/Equity: Eligible

Azalea Therapeutics is enabling precision genome engineering directly inside the body, with an initial focus on creating cancer immunotherapies in vivo. Azalea is pioneering a new way to turn a person’s own T cells into a powerful cancer therapy — directly inside the body. Instead of removing cells and manipulating them in a lab, we use precision genome editing tools to engineer T cells where they already live.

At the center of our approach are Enveloped Delivery Vehicles, or EDVs. As highly selective couriers, EDVs are designed to specifically locate T cells within the patient and deliver our genome engineering cargo. Once inside the cell, the anti-cancer agent is inserted into a precise site in the genome, ensuring safe and potent modifications to fortify the T cells against cancers.

Why this matters:

We aim to make cell therapy faster and more accessible by avoiding complex manufacturing outside the body.

Our platform is designed for precision, so the right cells are safely programmed to effectively fight cancer.

This technology has the potential to treat a wide range of cancers with a streamlined, scalable process.

Our goal is simple: develop next-generation delivery technologies to bring genetic engineering and cell therapies to more patients.

How We Work

Azalea is building ambitious science in a fast-moving environment. The people who thrive here are accountable, adaptable, rigorous, humble, and direct. Across roles and functions, we look for team members who demonstrate the following:

Outcome Ownership
- We own results, close loops, and follow through without needing to be prompted. We take responsibility for moving work forward and making sure important decisions, deliverables, and handoffs do not fall through the cracks.

Comfort with Ambiguity
- We operate in an early-stage environment where information may be incomplete and priorities may evolve. We clarify quickly, make thoughtful decisions with the information available, and adapt without unnecessary drama.

High Standards, Low Ego
- We care deeply about the quality of the work and the impact it can have for patients. We raise the bar while staying humble, direct, and open to feedback.

Collaboration and Candor
- We share context early, communicate clearly, partner across functions, and operate with transparency. We believe strong collaboration requires both trust and direct communication.

Azalea Therapeutics is seeking a hands-on, scientifically rigorous Senior Research Associate / Associate Scientist to join our Synthetic Immunology team. In this role, you will help advance next-generation in vivo cell and gene therapies by generating high-quality data that supports multiple pre-clinical programs, functional characterization of engineered immune cells, and broader platform and pipeline development.

The successful candidate will bring strong technical judgment and curiosity to complex experimental work. Depending on level, this may include independently planning and executing studies, troubleshooting assays, analyzing and interpreting data, communicating results to project teams, and translating program needs into high-quality experimental plans. Senior Research Associate candidates will be expected to demonstrate strong technical ownership and reliable independent execution, while Associate Scientist candidates will bring broader experimental design ownership, deeper scientific judgment, and the ability to help shape defined work streams within program goals.

Independently plan, execute, analyze, and document in vitro…