Staff Scientist, Surface Chemistry

About the role

At Element Biosciences, we are passionate about our mission to empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity. We have built a highly efficient product-driven organization where employees can learn, grow, and thrive in a challenging but encouraging environment. We are committed to scientific integrity, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness. We are seeking a highly motivated Staff Scientist to join our surface chemistry team and provide scientific leadership in the development of innovative new products in the field of next-generation sequencing and multiomics applications. In this role, you will lead execution across multiple projects, drive innovation through original ideas and thought leadership, and serve as a key scientific collaborator across functions to translate research concepts into robust, manufacturable products. This role will report to the Director, Surface Chemistry and will be a San Diego based role. If you possess the following and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to explore this role.

Key facts

What you'll do

Lead the design, development, and evaluation of novel surface chemistry approaches specifically tailored for next-generation sequencing and multiomics applications.

Architect and evaluate surface chemistry solutions on microfluidic and lab-on-chip devices, integrating deep knowledge of how device geometry and flow conditions influence surface performance and assay outcomes.

Define and own end-to-end product development initiatives, including experimental design, prototyping, functional testing, and rigorous data analysis to guide project direction.

Troubleshoot and resolve performance issues related to surface fouling, non-specific binding, or cell compatibility that arise during development or manufacturing.

Identify and solve complex experimental challenges pertaining to assay design, protocol execution, reagent selection, and surface performance optimization under varying conditions.

Support the transfer of surface chemistry solutions from early research stages into product development and manufacturing workflows, collaborating closely with process development and operations teams to ensure feasibility.

Maintain hands-on scientific leadership by setting the direction for laboratory experimentation, overseeing technical execution, and mentoring junior scientists to foster their technical growth and independence.

Contribute innovative ideas and technical insight during early-stage concept development and feasibility assessments to de-risk scientific and technical pathways.

Contribute technical expertise to invention disclosures and patent applications, working in partnership with the IP legal team and senior technical leadership to protect intellectual property.

Collaborate effectively with colleagues in product management, assay development, engineering, and manufacturing to ensure alignment, integration, and successful execution of project milestones.

Prepare and deliver high-quality technical reports, protocols, and presentations that summarize findings, support data-driven decision-making, and document development progress for cross-functional audiences.

Champion best practices in data integrity, reproducibility, and scientific communication across all experimental work and documentation.

Evaluate emerging technologies, methods, and literature to identify opportunities for adopting new techniques that enhance surface chemistry performance and project outcomes.

Act as a scientific interface to external collaborators and stakeholders, clearly articulating project goals, progress, and technical rationale to diverse audiences.

Requirements

Hold a PhD in chemistry, materials science, biochemistry, bioengineering, physics, or a related field.

Bring 6+ years of relevant industry experience in surface chemistry, materials science, or biomolecular interfaces within life sciences or diagnostics.

Maintain a strong publication and presentation record, with contributions to patents or novel methods that demonstrate technical impact.

Possess deep expertise in surface chemistry, polymer chemistry, and biomolecule-surface interactions as a core professional competency.

Have a required background in next-generation sequencing (NGS), genomics, proteomics, or multiomics platforms.

Show familiarity with microfluidic device design principles and an understanding of how channel geometry, surface-to-volume ratios, and flow dynamics influence surface chemistry performance and assay outcomes; experience with device fabrication (e.g., soft lithography, PDMS) or working with commercial lab-on-chip platforms is preferred.

Demonstrate familiarity with surface analytical techniques such as AFM, ellipsometry, FTIR, SEM, TOF-SIMS, and XPS as valuable characterization tools.

Have familiarity with manufacturing constraints, process transfer, or scale-up considerations relevant to translating surface chemistry solutions into production environments.

Operate with a high degree of independence in experimental planning, execution, and data interpretation, requiring minimal day-to-day supervision.

Apply strong scientific judgment to extrapolate from existing expertise and address novel or ambiguous technical challenges in complex, multi-variable contexts.

Proactively identify risks, knowledge gaps, and opportunities, and propose data-driven paths forward that shape project scope and organizational priorities.

Communicate with clarity and purpose to both technical and non-technical audiences, ensuring concepts are accessible and actionable.

Uphold the highest standards of scientific integrity, accuracy, and reliability in all aspects of experimental design, execution, and reporting.

Embrace the mission and values of Element Biosciences, demonstrating commitment to scientific rigor, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness.

Nice to have

Prior experience with microfluidic device fabrication methods such as soft lithography or PDMS-based platforms.

Hands-on experience with commercial lab-on-chip platforms or digital PCR/sequencing fluidics.

Background in process development, scale-up, or manufacturing transfer for diagnostic or sequencing technologies.

Experience with surface analytical methods such as AFM, ellipsometry, FTIR, SEM, TOF-SIMS, or XPS for characterizing surface modifications.

Practical notes

This is a full-time position based in San Diego at our headquarters.

Employment is at-wisk.

No specific travel or visa requirements are outlined at this time.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the role is filled.