Biospecimen Associate Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Join the forefront of groundbreaking research at City of Hope where we're changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. Our dedicated and compassionate faculty and staff are driven by a common mission: Contribute to innovative approaches in predicting, preventing, and curing diseases, shaping the future of medicine through cutting-edge research.

City of Hope has a Research Associate II opportunity available. Under the direction of the Henderson Biorepository Senior Manager, this position will perform established laboratory and documented procedures, in compliance with City of Hope’s human subjects research policies related to processing a variety of human fresh biospecimens and biobanking, inventorying, storage, and distribution of biospecimens for research purposes. This individual will possess the theoretical and practical expertise to support the research operations of a busy human fresh biospecimen processing laboratory and biorepository. The incumbent may be asked to assist with short-term and long-term strategic operational planning for both basic and translational research support. They must demonstrate behavioral skills that contribute to a productive work environment within a team approach and provide excellent customer service to the faculty and staff of COH’s National Cancer Center to improve research efforts and support patient outcomes.

As a successful candidate, you will:

• Perform human biospecimen processing, including peripheral blood mononuclear (PBMC) isolation, cryopreservation, whole blood fractionation, and related troubleshooting for blood, stool, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, ascites, pleural fluid, and other sample types.

• Execute core biorepository functions such as receiving, inventorying, storing, shipping, and destroying samples while supporting the development of new processing procedures.

• Maintain laboratory supply inventories, operate within electronic Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and related software, and assist with administrative oversight of biospecimen requests, research protocols, and compliance with human-subject research policies.

• Support quality assurance and quality control activities by performing and interpreting QC procedures, documenting QA/QC outcomes, training staff, and contributing to SOP and Work Instruction updates.

• Engage in ongoing professional development, complete required regulatory trainings, and participate in onboarding or skill‑building for new employees and students.

• Adhere to organizational policies, participate in safety and disaster‑recovery efforts, respond to temperature‑storage alarms (including events outside of routine business hours), and assist with urgent biospecimen relocations when needed.

• Maintain clear communication with laboratory leadership, identify and escalate critical issues, and provide regular updates on project progress to support operational efficiency.

• Contribute to daily workflow demands by managing time effectively, promoting teamwork, supporting equipment maintenance, ensuring accurate data entry, and upholding City of Hope’s mission, service standards, and patient‑centered values.

Your qualifications should include:

• Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree preferred.

• Two years related research/ laboratory experience with a Bachelor’s degree or one year related research/ laboratory experience with a Master’s degree.

Preferred qualifications:

• 1 year of experience in a research fresh human biospecimen processing laboratory or a biorepository.

• Familiarity with the Department of Transportation (DOT) procedures for moving human biospecimens by ground.

• International Air Transport Association (IATA) certification.

City of Hope employees pay is based on the following criteria: work experience, qualifications, and work location.

City of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.

To learn more about our Comprehensive Benefits, please CLICK HERE.