Sr. / Principal Scientist, Surface Chemistry

BioPhase

San Diego, CA, USA

Published: 6/14/2022

Science

Full Time

Job Description

Senior / Principal Scientist, Surface Chemistry

Status: FTE / Direct Hire

Compensation $180k - 230k DOE

Onsite in San Diego

The Opportunity

We are building a semiconductor-based detection platform, and the performance of every device we ship depends on what happens at the surface. We are hiring a hands-on scientist to own that layer: the chemistry that readies silicon-type and related substrates, anchors biological capture molecules where we want them, and keeps everything else from sticking. You will set the technical direction for surface and attachment chemistry, run your own experiments at the bench, and carry successful processes through to production.

The ideal candidate combines deep command of interfacial science with practical bioconjugation experience, a disciplined approach to experimental design, and the ability to work closely with engineers, assay scientists and quality colleagues.

What You Will Do

Create, tune and formally qualify chemical coatings and surface treatments for semiconductor chip materials.

Establish dependable methods for tethering biological molecules to surfaces, with deliberate control over how densely they are packed, how far apart they sit, and how reachable they are.

Design anti-fouling and blocking layers that suppress background adsorption, and test how well those layers hold up under heat, harsh chemicals and electrical or electrochemical stress, including operation in salt-rich solutions.

Apply surface-analytical tools and activity-based assays to measure what is really on the chip, and define numeric acceptance criteria.

Build a mechanistic understanding of how surface properties influence overall system behavior.

Select and qualify off-the-shelf and custom-made chemicals, write incoming material specifications, and manage outside synthesis and analytical partners.

Act as the in-house go-to expert on surface modification and conjugation topics.

Judge whether candidate coating processes can scale, and hand them off cleanly to Engineering and Manufacturing.

Work shoulder to shoulder with R&D peers plus Engineering, Quality and other groups to advance product milestones.

Communicate findings through clear reports and spoken updates.

Use designed experiments and statistical software to map process windows, trace sources of variation, and recommend fixes.

Help keep the laboratory safe, follow established procedures, and handle hazardous chemicals responsibly.

Scope and Leadership

Take full ownership of your projects: schedule, spend, milestones and technical direction, while representing the function across the company.

Bring sound business judgment alongside scientific credibility, and look for ways to make the work faster and leaner.

Guide and mentor colleagues and lead small cross-disciplinary efforts. No direct reports at the outset; that may change as the group grows.

Follow company policies, quality systems, safety rules and applicable regulations.

Occasional travel (roughly 5%). Access to confidential company information is part of the role.

Background We Are Looking For

Education and tenure (flexible; level reflects overall depth and scope):

Doctorate in a scientific field plus 5+ years (Senior) or 8+ years (Principal) afterwards; or a master's with 10+ / 12+ years of relevant work; or a bachelor's with 12+ / 15+ years; or a comparable mix.

Chemistry, materials science, chemical or biological engineering, or a nearby discipline is preferred. A specialty in interfaces, surfaces or conjugation chemistry is a real advantage.

Technical experience:

Proven record designing and carrying out surface modification on inorganic or semiconductor-type materials such as silicon, glass, metal oxides or polymers, including cleaning, activation, and thin-film or monolayer deposition. Adjacent biomaterials or interface work will be considered.

Direct bench experience with conjugation chemistry on surfaces; familiarity with bioorthogonal and click approaches as well as classic amine and thiol coupling is a bonus.

Experience attaching nucleic acids, proteins or similar molecules to solid supports; background in arrays, biosensors or biochips is strongly preferred.

Fluency with surface and thin-film characterization, and with measuring coverage and functional activity.

Strong grounding in designing biochemical, molecular or immunological assays; diagnostics-assay experience is a plus.

Experience with polymer or hydrogel coatings, or with electrochemical or semiconductor surfaces, is a plus.

Industry experience in biotech, diagnostics or life-science tools is preferred.

Rigorous experimental design (controls, variables, conditions) and statistical competence with tools such as JMP.

Exposure to FDA-regulated development and design-control practices is a plus; Six Sigma familiarity is welcome.

Working style:

Curious, organized and observant, with a track record of inventing new approaches when the standard ones fall short.

Comfortable in an early-stage environment where priorities shift quickly and responsibilities sometimes extend beyond the written role.

Able to juggle a heavy workload, plan for contingencies, and stay productive under pressure.

Open, humble and collaborative, with a habit of asking for feedback and building relationships.

Clear, accurate writing and speaking; able to present at national and international scientific meetings.

Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Teams.

Recognized as a technical authority and mentor, with sound laboratory practice and awareness of product requirements, market needs and intellectual property.