Leading Scientist

Job Summary:

We are recruiting a Leading Scientist responsible for day-to-day laboratory operations and personnel organization within the CCPM Functional Precision Medicine Platform. This individual will oversee sample flow, staffing, scheduling, training, and execution of platform workflows, ensuring high quality, timely, and reproducible delivery of functional assay outputs across clinical and translational programs.

This role works independently and in close partnership with the CCPM Director of the Functional Personalized Medicine Initiative, platform scientific leadership, and the automation and workflow engineering lead. The ideal candidate brings strong operational judgment, experience managing multidisciplinary laboratory teams, and deep familiarity with complex cell based or organoid platforms operating at scale.

Core Responsibilities

Laboratory Operations and Sample Flow (20%)

* Own day to day laboratory operations across the Functional Precision Medicine Platform, including scheduling, workload balancing, and execution tracking.

* Oversee end to end sample flow from intake through assay execution, imaging, and downstream handoff, in coordination with automation and analytics teams.

* Ensure adherence to platform timelines, quality benchmarks, and operational priorities across concurrent projects.

* Identify operational bottlenecks, risks, or resource constraints and implement corrective actions.

Scheduling and Operations (20%)

* Assign responsibilities, set expectations, and provide hands on oversight to ensure consistent execution of SOPs.

* Lead onboarding, training, and ongoing competency assessment for platform personnel.

* Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance laboratory culture aligned with clinical translation goals.

Quality, Documentation, and Compliance Readiness (20%)

* Ensure consistent application of SOPs, QC criteria, and documentation standards across all platform activities.

* Partner with platform leadership to support CLIA and CAP aligned practices, audit readiness, and internal quality reviews.

* Maintain operational records related to sample tracking, assay execution, deviations, and corrective actions.

* Support continuous improvement of operational rigor as platform scale and clinical integration expand.

Cross Functional Coordination (20%)

* Coordinate closely with the automation and workflow lead to align personnel availability with instrument schedules and assay pipelines.

* Serve as the primary operational interface between wet lab execution, platform leadership, and downstream analysis teams.

* Communicate execution status, risks, and resource needs clearly to leadership to support decision making.

* Support vendor coordination related to consumables, service scheduling, and operational readiness.

Training, Reporting, and Platform Growth (20%)

* Develop and maintain training materials, operational SOPs, and execution runbooks for platform workflows.

* Contribute to platform reporting, internal metrics, grant text, and programmatic documentation for the Director of FPM.

* Support scaling of personnel, workflows, and operational infrastructure as platform volume and scope increase.

* Mentor junior staff and contribute to career development within the platform team.

Work Location:

Hybrid - this role is eligible for a hybrid schedule of 3 days per week on campus and as needed for in-person meetings.

Why Join Us:

Join our dynamic team at the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine (CCPM) at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where we are at the forefront of integrating genetic information to enhance patient care. CCPM is committed to leveraging the unique combination of genetic information derived from its CAP/CLIA biobank lab, and comprehensive electronic health records to improve healthcare outcomes.

Why work for the University?

We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
• Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
• Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
• Holiday Days: 15/year
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
• ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service

There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

* Bachelor's degree in biology, bioengineering, biochemistry or a related field

* 3-5 years of experience that includes:

o Managing laboratory personnel and day to day scientific operations

o Experience with complex cell based workflows, 3D cultures, or organoid platforms.

o 1 year of experience working with mini ring or comparable high content organoid assay systems.

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

Preferred Qualifications:

* PhD in Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, or a related field.

* Experience supporting translational or clinical research platforms.

* Experience with structured sample tracking, execution logs, or LIMS adjacent systems.

* Experience operating within quality driven or compliance-oriented laboratory environments.

* Involvement in scaling laboratory teams or platforms.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

* Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple parallel workflows in a fast moving environment.

* Working knowledge of different types of automated high throughput equipment

* Ability to work independently in a multi-disciplinary environment

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position

2. Curriculum vitae / Resume

3. Three to five professional references, including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address

Questions should be directed to: Adrian Salazar, adrian.g.salazar@cuanschutz.edu

Screening of Applications Begins:

Immediately and continues until February 15, 2026.

Anticipated Pay Range:

The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as $70,492 - $86,000

The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position may be eligible for overtime compensation, depending on the level.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Total Compensation Calculator

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

ADA Statement:

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at hr.adacoordinator@cuanschutz.edu.

Background Check Statement:

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.

Vaccination Statement:

CU Anschutz strongly encourages vaccination against the COVID-19 virus and other vaccine preventable diseases. If you work, visit, or volunteer in healthcare facilities or clinics operated by our affiliated hospital or clinical partners or by CU Anschutz, you will be required to comply with the vaccination and medical surveillance policies of the facilities or clinics where you work, visit, or volunteer, respectively. In addition, if you work in certain research areas or perform certain safety sensitive job duties, you must enroll in the occupational health medical surveillance program.