Scientist R&D – Immunohistochemistry; IHC Histology San Carlos, CA
Listed on 2026-10-03
-
Research/Development
Research Scientist, Medical Technologist & Lab Technician, Clinical Research, Medical Science -
Healthcare
Medical Technologist & Lab Technician, Clinical Research, Medical Science
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 Bench Mark 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.
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 Bench Mark 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…
(If this job is in fact in your jurisdiction, then you may be using a Proxy or VPN to access this site, and to progress further, you should change your connectivity to another mobile device or PC).