Analytical Scientist I

Prolific Machines is ushering in a new era of biotechnology with light. Our mission is to make next-generation therapies broadly available to patients. Our first-of-its-kind Photomolecular Platform uses light to precisely guide how cells produce complex biologics, enabling higher titers, improved quality, and faster development timelines. By helping partners overcome today’s manufacturing bottlenecks, we’re accelerating the delivery of life-changing medicines. Prolific is supported by leading investors, including Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Mayfield, and SOSV.

Help us create a brighter tomorrow with biology. We're looking for mission-driven, talented, and kind people to join our team.

Prolific Machines is seeking a highly analytical and driven Senior Operations & Strategy Specialist to support in scaling our business. In this role, you will work directly with leadership to bridge the gap between high-level strategy and day-to-day execution. You will be responsible for designing and implementing scalable operational processes, developing and modeling business cases and supporting executive and board communications.

You will play a critical role in investor relations and transactions working closely with the executive team to craft compelling narratives, manage investor communications, and develop high-impact materials for our board of directors and prospective investors.

This role will require someone comfortable working with significant ambiguity, providing structure to complex tasks and being able to develop and execute on work plans that lead to actionable recommendations. Some days you will be in the weeds on highly analytical tasks, while others you will be leading change management on some of our highest priority initiatives.

This role will be primarily based on-site in Emeryville, CA with the option to work remotely approximately up to two days per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, optimize, and validate assays for protein quality and purity for broad classes of recombinant therapeutic proteins.
• Plan and execute experimentation to understand protein quality through cell line, upstream and downstream process development.
• Execute, summarize, and interpret routine and complex therapeutic protein characterizations.
• Qualify and validate assays upholding highly rigorous standards for execution and documentation.
• Routinely operate, maintain, and troubleshoot analytical instrumentation (HPLCs, FPLCs, mass spectrometers).
• Author, review, and implement methods, protocols, validations, and standard operating procedures.
• Ensure processes are followed in accordance with these standards.

Qualifications & Skills

• Hold a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, with 1+ years of biologics industry experience. Candidates without a PhD but with similar industry experience are encouraged to apply.
• Have illustrated experience in therapeutic protein characterization approaches (eg. HPLC, SDS, CE, cIEF, LC-MS).
• Have illustrated the ability to develop, execute, and interpret intact mass, sequence confirmation, and PTM analysis (e.g., glycosylation, disulfide mapping, peptide mapping) through mass spectrometry.
• Have illustrated the ability to develop, execute, and interpret aggregation and charge variant characterizations for biologics.
• Have experience in the development and execution of GLP-compliant methods characterizing protein quality attributes across a wide range of therapeutic classes.
• Have hands-on experience operating LC-MS. Experience with Agilent QTOF instrumentation applied to assay protein quality is a plus, including familiarity with proteomic software.
• Are highly motivated to deliver successful outcomes for internal and external clients.
• Are excited to work with internal and external clients to deliver project excellence.
• Have strong communication skills and are comfortable teaching and sharing knowledge at multiple levels of technical detail.