Scientist, Molecular Biology

Company Summary:

We are building a new venture, FL122, with the mission of reducing the risk of polygenic disease in children born through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). The company was founded by Flagship Pioneering, an innovative enterprise that conceives, creates, resources, and grows first-in-category life sciences companies. Flagship Pioneering has created over 100 groundbreaking companies over the past twenty years, all of which are pioneering novel and proprietary biological, industrial, and engineering approaches to solve major needs in human health and sustainability. These companies include Moderna (MRNA), Generate Biomedicines, Tessera Therapeutics, and Quotient Therapeutics. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a Molecular Biologist to help build the experimental foundation of the company’s scientific platform. As an early scientific team member, you will contribute to the development of core protocols, support the establishment of technical standards, and help execute the experimental strategy, working closely with senior scientists and leadership. We are looking for someone who is resourceful, is open to a rapidly changing, agile environment and has bias to action. The ideal candidate combines deep technical rigor with a growth mindset, pays attention to detail, and has a deep-rooted desire to achieve excellence. Being collaborative is key – the environment is an early stage startup, where all members of the team need to work closely together to break new ground in science.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver molecular biology research projects with guidance from senior team members, including experimental execution, troubleshooting, data analysis and clear communication of results
• Support the implementation of appropriate instrumentation, reagents, and consistent workflows to enable scalable and reliable experimental operations
• Handle and process human biospecimen, specifically human sperm cells, in a BSL2 setting with rigorous adherence to quality and reproducibility standards
• Contribute to the development, optimization, and benchmarking of workflows for extracting and quantifying minute amounts of nucleic acids from single cells and other low-input samples
• Test, compare and implement multiple single cell RNA sequencing methods, including library quantification and QC required for Illumina sequencing
• Collaborate with internal team members and contribute to interactions with external advisors, incorporating feedback into experimental plans

Requirements:

• Ph.D. in biology, molecular biology, genetics or a related discipline with 0–2+ years of postdoctoral or industry experience, with an excellent research track record
• Hands-on experience in the handling of minute amounts of nucleic acids, including rigorous QC and troubleshooting of low-input workflows
• Experience testing and optimizing single cell RNA sequencing methods end-to-end, including library quantification and QC (e.g., yield, size distribution, complexity)
• Demonstrated ability to execute and troubleshoot complex experiments independently, with increasing ownership over time
• Comfort operating in fast-moving, ambiguous startup environments with a collaborative mindset and willingness to take initiative

At Flagship, we accept impossible missions to enable bigger leaps. Our core values guide us through uncertainty and toward lasting impact.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We recognize that great candidates often bring unique strengths without fulfilling every qualification. If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your background and interest in Flagship.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

The salary range for this role is $100,000 - $143,000. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. FL122 currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits. Compensation and benefits information is based on FL122's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.