Research Associate, Reprogramming

Retro develops therapies for diseases driven by the biology of aging. We focus on cellular reprogramming and autophagy to broadly improve tissue function by targeting mechanisms of aging with the ultimate aim of adding 10 years to healthy human lifespan.

We’re building a mission-driven team of accomplished and kind individuals who embrace our startup culture of rapid iteration, transparency, and versatility.

We are hiring a new member of the HSC Therapeutics team who will be involved in making GMP-grade iPSCs and characterizing them. In this role, your cell culture and reprogramming skills will enable the team to move toward therapy production in a GMP setting. You will be involved in generating, maintaining, and characterizing pluripotent stem cells to later develop them into a cellular therapy product. You will help the team to transfer reprogramming protocols from the research bench into a GMP production.

About you:

You’re entrepreneurial and eager to spend time deeply engaged in hands-on science; building the foundation for your future career as a scientist. You approach your work with a growth-mindset, eager to use your critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities. You enjoy fast-paced, hands-on work and value being organized, planning, and paying attention to the details. You’re a highly collaborative team member with a “can-do” attitude and great communication skills.

In this role you will:

• Validate processes to generate iPSCs at scale and within clinically-driven time constraints.
• Generate and characterize iPSCs ensuring their high quality for preclinical safety studies.
• Perform primary cell isolation from patient’s starting material.
• Support tech transfer of iPSC protocols into GMP manufacturing.
• Contribute to establishing scalable manufacturing process of GMP-grade iPSCs.
• Maintain detailed and accurate records of experimental procedures and results.
• Maintain electronic records in GMP manufacturing and contribute to supporting documents, such as SOPs.
• Generate and characterize iPSCs for clinical use.
• Be part of a rotational weekend work schedule.

You might thrive in this role if you:

• Have a B.S or an M.S. in biology or a related field and at least 2 years of hands-on experience generating, maintaining and characterizing iPSC lines.
• Have experience with gene delivery into primary cells ex vivo.
• Learn quickly and follow protocols precisely.
• Strive to continuously optimize practices for high speed and accuracy.
• Enjoy working cross-functionally with specialists with various backgrounds (cell biologist, quality control scientists, operational and logistic specialists).

It’s a bonus if you:

• Are familiar with good manufacturing practices or/and have experience working in a GMP environment.
• Have experience with process development and scaling iPSC production for cell therapies.
• Have experience in isolating cells from human samples.
• Have experience with cell characterisation techniques (eg FACS/flow cytometry, IF/microscopy, karyotyping).

$85,000 - $93,000 a year

At Retro, we don’t use titles. New hires join as a “Member of X Team.”

Total compensation includes competitive base salary, generous equity, and benefits including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family
• 401(k) plan with 4% matching
• Flexible time off and 10 company holidays per year
• Paid parental leave
• Annual learning & development stipend
• Daily Retro-sponsored lunch and snacks

We take pride in cultivating an environment that fosters collaboration, open communication, and authenticity. We believe that great results are best delivered by a highly creative team working in concert. We are an equal opportunity employer; we do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are diverse in background and singular in mission.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.