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Senior Assay Development Scientist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

AbbVie

Sr Scientist I, Automation Development

North Chicago, IL · On-site

$88K - $120K/yr

... Senior Scientist I position. The primary role of this position is to develop and implement ... The successful candidate will have strong hands-on experience in assay development, automation, and ...

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AbbVie

Sr Scientist I, Automation Development

North Chicago, IL · On-site

$88K - $120K/yr

... Senior Scientist I position. The primary role of this position is to develop and implement ... The successful candidate will have strong hands-on experience in assay development, automation, and ...

New

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How much do senior assay development scientist jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior assay development scientist in the United States is $110,545.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $91,500.00 and $125,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Senior Assay Development Scientist position, and why are they important?

A Senior Assay Development Scientist should possess advanced expertise in assay design, validation, and troubleshooting, supported by a degree in biochemistry, molecular biology, or a related field. Familiarity with laboratory automation platforms, high-throughput screening technologies, and software for data analysis such as Prism or SoftMax Pro is typically required. Strong project management, problem-solving, and cross-functional communication skills enhance effectiveness in leading projects and collaborating across departments. These skills are crucial for delivering robust, innovative assays that meet regulatory standards and support critical research or product development goals.

What are the typical challenges faced by a Senior Assay Development Scientist and how do they overcome them?

Senior Assay Development Scientists often encounter challenges such as optimizing assay sensitivity and specificity, troubleshooting inconsistent results, and meeting tight project timelines. To overcome these, they rely on deep scientific knowledge, rigorous method validation, and effective collaboration with other scientists, engineers, and quality assurance teams. Staying up to date on the latest technologies and regulatory requirements also helps address technical and compliance-related hurdles. By fostering open communication and drawing on multidisciplinary expertise within their teams, these professionals develop innovative solutions and ensure high-quality outcomes.

What does a Senior Assay Development Scientist do?

A Senior Assay Development Scientist designs, optimizes, and validates biochemical or cell-based assays for research, diagnostics, or drug development. They lead assay development projects, troubleshoot technical challenges, and collaborate with cross-functional teams. Their role often includes analyzing experimental data, ensuring assay reproducibility, and maintaining compliance with regulatory standards. Additionally, they mentor junior scientists and contribute to scientific publications or regulatory submissions.

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Senior Assay Development Scientist jobs near you
Senior / Staff Scientist, Assay Automation

Senior / Staff Scientist, Assay Automation

Clear Labs

San Carlos, CA • On-site

$110K - $150K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life

Re-posted 14 days ago

Job description

About Clear Labs
Clear Labs (CL) harnesses the power of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to simplify complex diagnostics for clinical and applied markets. By creating a fully automated platform that brings together DNA sequencing, robotics, and cloud-based analytics, Clear Labs democratizes genomics applications to deliver better clarity. Clear Labs' turnkey platform accelerates outcomes and improves accuracy from food-borne pathogens to infectious diseases.
Position Summary
You will own the end-to-end performance of NGS assays running on Hamilton Platforms for Illumina-based sequencing assays, from wet lab execution through data interpretation. The work directly determines assay reliability in clinical use and is foundational to scaling our diagnostic platform.
This role is leveled Senior or Staff based on demonstrated scope, autonomy, and track record of shipping NGS assays into regulated environments. We will calibrate level during the interview process.
This is a hands-on role, not a managerial one. It is best suited for scientists who have repeatedly debugged failed NGS experiments and can trace issues across assay design, automated execution, and downstream data.
How This Role Operates
  • Partners daily with Assay Development, Automation Engineering, Bioinformatics, Manufacturing, and Regulatory / Quality.
  • Owns assay performance decisions on assigned product workstreams; signs off on experimental designs, root-cause findings, and verification study conclusions within scope.
  • Expected to escalate cross-functional tradeoffs and regulatory implications to the Director of Assay Development.

Location: San Carlos, CA
Primary Responsibilities
Assay Development (Core)
  • Troubleshoot and optimize full NGS workflows: extraction, fragmentation, end repair, ligation, library prep, target enrichment or amplification, pooling, and sequencing.
  • Identify root causes of assay failures and implement durable, documented fixes.
  • Redesign assay components for robustness, scalability, and reproducibility under production conditions.
  • Lead verification, characterization, and reagent qualification studies that drive assay decisions.
  • Own measurable improvements in assay reliability, variability, and yield on assigned workstreams.

Data Analysis and Experimental Design
  • Analyze sequencing data and run metrics to diagnose performance issues across the wet-to-dry interface.
  • Design experiments using DOE, regression, and hypothesis testing; quantify variance contributions.
  • Build and maintain quantitative performance metrics that characterize assay variability and stability.
  • Conduct reagent stability studies and lot-to-lot qualification.

Automation Integration
  • Develop and troubleshoot assays running on liquid handling automation (Hamilton or equivalent).
  • Partner with automation engineers to translate manual protocols into validated automated workflows.
  • Diagnose and resolve automation-related sources of variability.

Regulatory and Quality
  • Execute work under design controls and a quality management system (ISO 13485 or equivalent).
  • Contribute to analytical validation activities (LoD, precision, specificity, reproducibility, interference).
  • Apply structured problem-solving tools (FMEA, CAPA, change control) as part of routine work.

Requirements
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis; no visa sponsorship is available for this position.
  • PhD in molecular biology, genomics, bioengineering, or related field, OR equivalent industry experience defined as 8+ years in NGS assay development with at least one shipped IVD, LDT, or commercially deployed assay.
  • Demonstrated hands-on experience developing Illumina NGS assays through to production or clinical use.
  • Track record of leading end-to-end root-cause investigations of complex assay failures.
  • Hands-on experience developing or troubleshooting assays on liquid handling automation (Hamilton or equivalent).
  • Experience working under ISO 13485, FDA design controls, or a comparable regulated quality system.
  • Working proficiency in R, Python, JMP, or equivalent for sequencing data analysis and statistical experimental design (DOE, ANOVA, regression, variance decomposition).
Preferred Experience
  • IVD or LDT assay development for oncology, infectious disease, or similar clinical indications.
  • Hands-on experience with FFPE and/or cfDNA sample types.
  • Experience with hybrid capture target enrichment and/or amplicon-based panel design.
  • Named contribution to a 510(k), De Novo, PMA, or equivalent regulatory submission.
  • Experience integrating assays with downstream bioinformatics pipelines.
What Success Looks Like in the First 12 Months
How We Will Evaluate Candidates
  • Technical depth interview: walk through a real NGS assay failure you debugged end-to-end, including the data you used to localize the root cause.
  • Experimental design exercise: design a study to characterize a defined source of variability under stated constraints.
  • Cross-functional simulation: navigate a tradeoff between assay performance, automation feasibility, and regulatory impact.

Benefits
  • Salary range: $120,000-$150,000
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Employer-Sponsored Basic Life/AD&D, Long Term Disability
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Flexible Time Off
  • Stock Option Plan
  • Lunch stipend for days at headquarters

Notice of E-Verify Participation: Clear Labs participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. For more information, please review the E-Verify Participation Poster (English/Spanish) and the Right to Work Poster (English/Spanish).
Disclaimer
The above job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Responsibilities and duties may change or be adjusted to meet the needs of the company, and additional duties may be assigned as necessary. The job description is subject to change at any time at the discretion of the Company.

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