Senior Associate Scientist - Moonlight Bio

Senior Associate Scientist, Research & Development

About Moonlight Bio:

Moonlight Bio is a Seattle-based, preclinical stage biotech company pioneering the development of cutting-edge cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. Our team consists of collaborative and passionate individuals focused on designing innovative technologies and therapeutic candidates with the potential to transform the lives of cancer patients. Engaging across the entire drug development landscape, our research and development teams are pursuing opportunities in discovery research, component design and screening, preclinical modeling, process and analytical development, and partnerships necessary to enable and advance our core technologies.

Roles & Responsibilities:

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Senior Associate Scientist to join our Research team, working on-site in our office and laboratory located in Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood. As a Senior Associate Scientist, you will serve as a technical subject matter expert, making valuable contributions both independently and as part of a cohesive team, driving multiple projects forward. In this lab-based role, you will have the autonomy and support to lead, design, execute, analyze, and present studies to senior leadership and key stakeholders. Additionally, you will have numerous opportunities to explore and develop new skill sets, encompassing cell and molecular biology, in vitro safety, gene editing, and process and analytical development. Our ideal candidate will have experience in cell and molecular biology, tumor and T cell immunology and will bring passion and inquisitiveness to tackle the many challenges that come with developing novel cell therapies. This position offers the unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully to innovative therapies in the field of oncology.

Key responsibilities include:

Tumor and T Cell Engineering

• Generate and characterize engineered cell lines using expression vectors and site directed nucleases.
• Engineer and evaluate CAR and TCR T cells through in vitro immunological analyses, including cell phenotyping, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity assays.
• Construct design and cloning of expression vectors and CAR and TCR constructs

Reagent Validation and Assay Development

• Identify and optimize reagents to evaluate pipeline targets.
• Develop and validate analytical bioassays to characterize therapeutic candidate designs.
• Maintain and support inventory management of shared lab reagents.

Binder Evaluation and Target Selection

• Perform high-throughput binder triage to identify optimal CAR and TCR binders.
• Develop and implement automation strategies to increase efficiency and throughput.

In Vitro Safety and Specificity

• Design and execute in vitro specificity and safety assays to evaluate engineered T cells (e.g., cytokine-independent growth assays, T2 peptide pulse assays, and/or off-target binding assessments).
• Evaluate the reactivity of T cell candidates to identify on-target off-tumor and off-target effects.
• Support IND enabling studies to assess in vitro pharmacology and safety.

We are looking for candidates who possess the following qualifications:

• BS/MS in a Biology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology or other life sciences discipline with a minimum of 3 years of experience in T cell therapy research and development, process/analytical development, or related disciplines; 2+ years of industry experience required.
• Proven ability to exercise sound discretion and judgement in designing and conducting experiments and interpreting data, work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, and implement a proactive approach towards problem-solving and innovation.
• Strong organizational skills for lab work, protocol development, and data documentation.
• Excellent written and oral presentation skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple deliverables simultaneously.
• Proficiency in MS Office (including: Teams, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel) and analytical software (including: GraphPad, FlowJo and Geneious).

Hands-on experience in:

• Adherent and suspension tumor cell culture
• Tumor cell line engineering
• CAR T or TCR T cell production
• Flow cytometry and functional T cell assays
• Experience with primary normal cell culture is a plus

At Moonlight Bio, we are committed to cultivating and fostering a diverse team, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to characteristics and statuses protected under applicable federal, state, and local laws. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Moonlight Bio will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

Our employee benefits include PTO, subsidized on-site parking, medical, dental, and vision plans from your first day of employment. We support our team members in pursuing certifications, conferences, and training relevant to their roles.

Join us at Moonlight Bio and contribute to groundbreaking research that has the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment! With our nurturing environment and dedication to professional development, you’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on patients’ lives while advancing your career in the dynamic field of cell therapy.