(Senior / Principal) Scientist, RNA Therapeutics

The role

You will lead RNA-therapeutics programs from target biology and oligonucleotide design through chemistry selection, assay strategy, quality control, and in vivo validation. This is a senior hands-on role with end-to-end scientific ownership.

What you will do

• Lead the design of ASOs, siRNAs, splice-switching oligonucleotides, gapmers, steric-blocking oligonucleotides, and other RNA-targeting molecules.
• Select oligonucleotide chemistries based on tissue, mechanism, potency, durability, safety, off-target risk, immune activation, and manufacturability.
• Develop sequence strategies for various RNA-level mechanisms.
• Refine design rules involving GC content, RNA secondary structure, isoform selectivity, SNPs, conservation, and specificity.
• Source, synthesize, purify, and quality-control oligonucleotides using methods such as HPLC/UPLC, LC-MS, MALDI, UV quantification, PAGE, endotoxin/bioburden testing, and batch-level analytical trackin
• Design and interpret assays for knockdown, splice correction, transcript and protein changes, pathway modulation, cell viability, immune activation, and in vivo tissue target engagement.
• Build the complete program package including target rationale, sequence set, chemistry plan, assay strategy, quality-control data, in vitro and in vivo results, failure modes, and next-step logic.
• Set technical direction and remain directly involved in the experiments and data that determine program decisions.

Required qualifications

• Deep hands-on experience with RNA therapeutics, ASOs, siRNA, splice-switching oligonucleotides, RNA biology, nucleic-acid chemistry, pharmacology, or closely related work.
• The ability to reason from target biology to sequence and chemistry design to the assay readout that will validate or reject the approach.
• Experience designing and interpreting RNA-therapeutics assays at transcript, protein, pathway, cellular, or in vivo tissue level.
• A rigorous, efficient, and resourceful approach to moving a program forward.
• The ability to provide technical leadership while staying close to hands-on work and primary data.

Nice to have

• Experience with methods such as qPCR, ddPCR, RNA-seq, western blot, ELISA, reporter assays, splice assays, cytokine panels, or tissue analysis

Benefits

• $500+ monthly wellness budget for training, supplements, coaching, recovery, or other tools
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage options, with Capable covering 100% of the base policy
• Access to HSA, FSA, and 401K plans
• Healthy vegetarian dinners with the team provided daily

Before you apply

• In-person on site work trial in San Francisco

About the company

Capable Labs is a mission-driven team in San Francisco comprising members from MIT, Harvard Medical School, Roche, ETH, and Dana-Farber.