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NAO Head of Laboratory Science

SecureBio
Cambridge, MA
  • Project/Division: Nucleic Acid Observatory
  • Start date: As soon as possible
  • Status: Full-time SecureBio employee
  • Approximate compensation: $150,000 to $180,000; we may make exceptions for outstanding candidates
  • Visa sponsorship: Yes
  • Work location: Boston, MA
  • Reports to: NAO Director

    • The role

    The Nucleic Acid Observatory is building a pathogen-agnostic early warning system to protect the world from catastrophic pandemics. Our mission is to ensure that, as advances in biotechnology lower the barriers to engineering pathogens, humanity is prepared. We're developing biosurveillance systems, including wastewater metagenomic sequencing, to identify novel threats early enough to mount an effective response.

    We're hiring a Head of Laboratory Science to lead our wet lab research and operations. We're seeking an experienced manager to combine hands-on research with mentorship and team leadership. You and your team will develop, validate, deploy, and scale pathogen-agnostic biosurveillance methods, advancing humanity's ability to detect new and unknown pathogens as sensitively and reliably as possible.

    Responsibilities

    We expect this role will start as a 50/50 mix of management and hands-on research (though the balance may shift over time as the team grows).

    • Set the research roadmap, guide the team from initial exploration through implementation, and do hands-on lab work.
      • Develop nucleic acid extraction and sequencing library preparation methods, optimized for reliable identification of rare pathogens in complex metagenomic samples.
      • Develop and validate approaches to improve sensitivity, cost, and speed.
      • Explore opportunities for process improvement and automation.
      • Develop confirmatory assays and strategies to verify candidate threats
    • Grow a strong wet lab team: manage two Research Scientists and one Technician, provide mentorship and professional development, and lead future hiring.
    • Collaborate closely with the computational team at the NAO on sequencing strategies, and with the biosecurity response team on validation of candidate threats.
    • Seek out new grants, collaborations, and partnerships; work with the team to share our work in publications, presentations, and technical reports.
    • Stay current with emerging technologies in sequencing, sample processing, and molecular biology relevant to biosurveillance.
    • Establish and maintain relationships with technology vendors and academic collaborators to access cutting-edge tools and methods.
    • Ensure all work follows appropriate biosafety and biosecurity protocols while handling potentially pathogenic samples
    Role Expectations

    Required

    • PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, or related field, or equivalent experience.
    • 5+ years of post-PhD experience in industry or academic research settings.
    • Demonstrated experience managing other lab staff and leading collaborative research projects.
    • Demonstrated experience collaborating with computational biologists.
    • Strong track record of developing or significantly improving molecular biology protocols.
    • Experience with metagenomic sequencing, genomic surveillance of pathogens, or a closely related area.
    • Excellent project management skills; able to balance multiple projects and make tradeoffs between them.
    • Excellent written and oral communication abilities.
    • Comfortable working in BSL2+ conditions with potentially pathogenic samples.

    Preferred

    • Experience managing senior researchers and hiring lab personnel.
    • Deep expertise in next-generation sequencing library preparation, including short-read (Illumina) and long-read (Oxford Nanopore).
    • Experience with wastewater surveillance or environmental sampling for pathogen detection.
    • Prior work on method development for low-signal, low-biomass, or other challenging sample types.
    • Experience working in a production laboratory and scaling up protocols.
    • Familiarity with biosecurity, biodefense, and/or research involving high-impact pathogens.

    Benefits

    Our employee benefits reflect our belief in investing to build the strongest possible team, in which everyone receives the trust and support they need to excel. Our benefits package includes:

    • Comprehensive healthcare

    Comprehensive healthcare coverage, including health, dental & vision insurance, as well as a yearly mental health allowance for every employee.

    • Flexible work schedule

    Flexible work hours; unlimited paid time off (PTO) for all employees; and minimum 12 weeks fully-paid parental leave.

    • World-class office

    An exceptional working environment in our Kendall Square office, including high-quality ergonomic office equipment, snacks, and daily catered lunches.

    • Development opportunities

    Generous professional development opportunities, including fully-paid conference sponsorships and a yearly development allowance for every employee.

    • 401(k)

    Employer 401(k) match up to 4% of total salary.

    • Relocation & commuter support

    Free commuter benefits, plus a generous relocation allowance for employees who move to the Boston area

    About SecureBio

    In joining SecureBio, you’ll be joining a motivated, mission-driven, and international team of professionals dedicated to protecting the world from biological threats. Through in-house research & development, as well as collaborations with experts in academia, industry & government, we are working to build the tools, technologies, and institutions the world needs to be secure against future biotechnology.

    Major projects by the SecureBio team include the Nucleic Acid Observatory project for reliable pandemic detection and our work to understand and reduce biological risks from advanced artificial intelligence.

    Application process

    We will review applications on a rolling basis, and are looking for someone to start as soon as possible.

    After considering your written application, we may invite you to a short screening interview. High-performing candidates may be invited to further interviews, followed by an in-person work trial. We will also require two to three reference checks.

    We’re committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, and we encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from women, gender minorities, and people of color who are excited about contributing to our mission, and are happy to consider applicants from overseas. We’re an equal opportunity employer.

    If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact [email protected].

    Referral bonus

    We offer a referral bonus of up to $6,000 to individuals who refer successful candidates for this position:

    • If you refer a candidate that we invite to a technical interview, you will receive $100;
    • If you refer a candidate that we invite to an in-person work trial, you will receive a further $500, for a total of $600;
    • If the candidate accepts a job offer from us, you will receive a further $2,400, for a total of $3,000;
    • If the candidate is still working with us after three months, you will receive a further $3,000, for a total of $6,000.

    To receive these bonuses, we must reasonably believe that you were responsible for referring the candidate to us (e.g. due to you introducing them to us when we didn’t previously know them, or them mentioning you on their application as the reason they heard about the position).
Posted 2025-09-22

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