Staff Scientist

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit organization providing adult cancer treatment and groundbreaking research focused on cancer and infectious diseases. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington.

With a track record of global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and COVID-19 vaccines, Fred Hutch has earned a reputation as one of the world's leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and network affiliations with hospitals in five states. Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures to the world's deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

At Fred Hutch we value collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity and respect. Our mission is directly tied to the humanity, dignity and inherent value of each employee, patient, community member and supporter. Our commitment to learning across our differences and similarities make us stronger. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems.

A Staff Scientist position in the Nelson, Haffner, Li and Ha research groups located in the Human Biology Division and Computational Biology Program is available immediately. We have established a research team working with interdisciplinary collaborators who have expertise in genomics, genetics, pathology, experimental therapeutics, cancer biology, and clinical cancer research. We are seeking a highly motivated individual with experience in applying bench laboratory experimentation and computational and analytical approaches to the study of genomics and epigenetics of cancer. The specific focus for this position involves developing assays using ctDNA/cfDNA in cancer diagnostics and developing new pharmacological strategies for inhibiting novel treatment targets. Candidates who are excited about driving projects and participating in teams that develop and apply technologies for interrogating cancer genotypes and phenotypes through bioinformatics, data science, genomics, spatial biology, and drug development are encouraged to apply.

The research projects and responsibilities for this Staff Scientist position include:

Conduct research independently as well as contribute to research being done by other team members.
• Assist in project development, design, and management.
• Participate in the training of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral scientists.
• Lead mining and integration of large-scale multi-omic datasets (WGS, methylation, chromatin, cfDNA) to identify quantitative biomarkers for ctDNA detection and tumor characterization.
• Develop, refine, and benchmark computational pipelines for biomarker selection using statistical modeling, machine learning, and deep learning approaches.
• Innovate and evaluate new metrics for ctDNA quantification (e.g., methylation-based signals, fragmentation, gene expression inference).
• Design and optimize ctDNA assays using low-cost molecular platforms such as low-pass WGS, EM-seq, targeted sequencing, ddPCR and others.
• Translate computational biomarkers into practical assays via targeted primer/panel design, reaction optimization, and QC framework development.
• Conduct analytical validation studies including LOD determination, precision, reproducibility, and specificity.
• Contribute to development of prognostic biomarkers for clinical applications.
• Collaborate with CLIA/CAP laboratory teams to integrate assay workflows into clinical pipelines, including documentation for LDT deployment.
• Support translational studies in collaboration with clinicians and academic/industry partners (e.g., tumor detection, subtyping, therapeutic stratification).
• Lead validation efforts on real-world biospecimens such as plasma.
• Lead novel drug development efforts to target lineage transcription factors.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• A PhD and/or MD degree in a biomedical science discipline such as biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics, computer science, computational biology, biostatistics, biomedical engineering, or other related fields
• Experience with programming languages and environments such as R, Python, others.
• Hands-on experience with NGS-based assays.
• Strong background in processing and analyzing large-scale genomic datasets (WGS, methylation, cfDNA fragmentation, variant calling).
• Significant experience with basic programming languages.
• Expertise in the design, synthesis and application of mini protein binders.
• Experience with assay optimization and analytical validation.
• Ability to interpret complex biological results and communicate them clearly.
• Publications of peer reviewed articles in the field of genomics, genetics, cell engineering, or developmental biology
• A minimum of 3 years of direct experience in molecular biology, developmental biology, genetics, epigenetics, computational genomics, or related fields

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Hands-on experience with ddPCR, low-pass WGS, targeted panel design, library prep, or other quantitative genome-scale assays.
• Experience working with multi-omic biological signals for cancer detection, subtyping, or therapeutic profiling.
• Familiarity with cloud-based infrastructure for large-scale genomic analysis.
• Knowledge of validation frameworks and guidelines.
• Strong track record of peer-reviewed publications, high-impact manuscripts, patents, or translational tools relevant to position.
• Experience collaborating with clinicians, industry partners, or translational research teams.

To apply, please submit your application with the following:

• Cover Letter.
• A CV summarizing your education and work experience so far.
• The names and email addresses of two references.
• Two publications or preprints featuring your work.

The annual base salary range for this position is from $84,406 to $191,755, and pay offered will be based on experience and qualifications.

Although Fred Hutch is not sponsoring most H-1B visas at this time, candidates who already hold an H-1B sponsored by another organization and are currently in the U.S. may be eligible for this position.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers employees a comprehensive benefits package designed to enhance health, well-being, and financial security. Benefits include medical/vision, dental, flexible spending accounts, life, disability, retirement, family life support, employee assistance program, onsite health clinic, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation (22 days per year), paid sick leave (up to 30 calendar days per occurrence of a qualifying reason), paid holidays (up to 13 days per year), and paid parental leave (up to 4 weeks).