Research Associate

Position Summary 
ONK Therapeutics is an innovative cell therapy company dedicated to the development of best-in-class, off-the-shelf/allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) cell therapies for patients suffering from both hematologic and solid tumors. The company’s innovative approach to CAR therapy harnesses the innate biology of NK cells, whose function is further optimized through additional genetic engineering of the cells to improve their cytotoxicity and their function, even in the hostile tumor micro-environment. It is widely postulated that CAR therapy based on NK cells will be capable of overcoming some of the shortcomings that have been experienced with CAR therapy using conventional cytotoxic T cells. ONK therapeutics has further developed a dual-targeting approach to enhance the activity of CAR-NK cells along several fronts.

We are seeking talented and enthusiastic research associates who would participate in several of the cell therapy programs. He/she will be responsible for establishing infrastructure, participating in developing strategies, techniques, and approaches in support of consolidating current NK cell therapy programs and developing next-generation ideas and products. Experience with novel cellular technologies, in vivo evaluation of modalities in an oncology setting, and experience with approaches for gene editing or acumen to pick these up is important.

Company Purpose 

Pioneering optimally engineered NK cell therapies to cure patients with cancer

Company Values

Innovative and pioneering, driven by leading-edge science and an unwavering desire to address meaningful unmet patient need

Ambitious and nimble, focused on driving a differentiated and opportunistic strategy to secure a leadership position in the NK cell therapy space

Financially astute, making smart decisions to ensure corporate sustainability

People-centric, with an approach that embraces diversity, and promotes teamwork and well-being through a collaborative, trusting, respectful company culture

Responsible and accountable, anchored in the ethos that we do the right things right and that we all accept clear accountability for our actions

Essential Functions
• Participate in the development, execution, and documentation of strategies for isolating and modifying NK cells from primary sources.
• Develop and demonstrate exceptional skills at handling NK cells.
• Has cell culture experience that includes handling of primary cells.
• Can demonstrate the capability to handle nucleic acid constructs and modification of effector lymphocytes.

Education/Experience Requirements
• Possession of a Bachelors with at least 1-4 years of experience, preferably in an industry environment in one of the following disciplines: cancer cellular therapy, cancer immunology, immunology, or related field.
• Prior experience with cellular therapies is desirable. Experience with developing lymphocyte-based cell therapies, especially in an industry setting would be preferred.
• Ability to be flexible, innovative, and highly organized to work quickly and efficiently in a growing biotech start-up environment is necessary.

Required Competencies - Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
• Experience in different techniques used in immunology and cancer cell biology for characterizing native and modified lymphocytes for product development.
• Some experience with in-vitro cell-based assays.
• Experience with isolation and culturing of lymphocytes from various sources is desirable.
• Is a team player and has experience working in a team setting.
• Well organized and has willingness to pick up cutting-edge techniques and ability to document protocols and data generated from them.