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.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Design, develop, and evaluate novel surface chemistry approaches to enable next-generation sequencing/multiomics applications
Design and evaluate novel surface chemistry solutions on microfluidic and lab-on-chip devices, with a strong understanding of how device geometry and flow conditions influence surface performance and assay outcomes
Define and lead product development efforts, including experimental design, prototyping, functional testing, and data analysis
Troubleshoot performance issues related to surface fouling, non-specific binding, or cell compatibility
Identify and resolve experimental challenges related to assay design, protocol execution, reagent selection, and surface performance
Support the transfer of surface chemistry solutions from research into product development and manufacturing, in collaboration with process development and operations teams
Maintain hands-on scientific leadership, setting the direction for laboratory experimentation and troubleshooting while mentoring junior scientists and guiding their technical development
Contribute innovative ideas and technical insight to early-stage concept development and feasibility assessments
Contribute technical expertise to invention disclosures and patent applications in collaboration with the IP legal team and senior technical leadership
Collaborate effectively with colleagues in product management, assay development, engineering, and manufacturing to ensure alignment and successful execution
Prepare and deliver high-quality technical reports and presentations that summarize findings, support decision-making, and document development progress

Education and Experience

PhD in chemistry, materials science, biochemistry, bioengineering, physics, or a related field
6+ years of relevant industry experience in surface chemistry, materials science, or biomolecular interfaces in life sciences or diagnostics
Strong publication and presentation record, with contributions to patents or novel methods
Deep expertise in surface chemistry, polymer chemistry and biomolecule–surface interactions is required
Background in NGS, genomics, proteomics or multiomics platforms is required
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
Familiarity with surface analytical techniques such as AFM, ellipsometry, FTIR, SEM, TOF-SIMS, and XPS are preferred
Familiarity with manufacturing constraints, process transfer or scale-up
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