Sr. Scientist, Spatial Biology

WHY NOETIK

NOETIK is a frontier therapeutics company harnessing AI to deeply understand human biology and redefine clinical outcomes in oncology. Leveraging the largest proprietary multimodal oncology dataset of its kind, uniquely integrating deep spatial profiling with routine clinical assays, NOETIK’s foundation AI models precisely match therapeutic targets to patient subpopulations and accurately predict clinical efficacy. This AI-first approach elevates therapeutic development from probabilistic guesswork to precision science.

In this role, we are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Senior Scientist to join our team at the frontier of spatial biology and AI, driving hands on execution, protocol development, and quality standards for spatial biology experiments on human tissue samples in a lab built to fuel next-generation AI models. The ideal candidate will have deep hands-on experience with in situ hybridization & proteomics techniques, spatial data analysis and demonstrate strong troubleshooting, mentorship, and organizational skills. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a multidisciplinary laboratory environment at the interface between Spatial Biology and AI model generation. 

As we scale up our data generation engine, this role is focused on driving impact through day-to-day execution, troubleshooting, and quality enforcement across a high volume of runs.

KEY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Independently plan, perform and troubleshoot spatial biology experiments on human tissue samples.
• Establish and enforce data quality standards across the team's experiments and analysis pipelines.
• Mentor and train team members on technique, rigor, and quality judgment.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Histology, and Scientific Operations to ensure seamless project execution.
• Actively participate in lab team meetings, fostering a collaborative and innovation-driven culture.
• Lead cross-functional projects with Engineering and ML Team members to design the next generation of data for AI model training.

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• PhD in molecular biology, genomics, cell biology, biomedical engineering, or a related field.
• 2-5+ years of industry hands-on experience with spatial transcriptomics (CosMx, Xenium, MERFISH…); direct CosMx experience strongly preferred.
• Experience with spatial proteomics platforms (e.g., CosMx Protein, Akoya PhenoCycler, Lunaphore..) and immunofluorescence panel design are highly desirable.
• Proven ability to independently troubleshoot wet-lab and imaging-based assay failures, tracing issues back to root cause.
• Solid knowledge of spatial transcriptomics data QC metrics: transcript count distributions, segmentation quality, dropout/housekeeping-gene diagnostics, batch effects, and spatial artifacts.
• Comfortable enforcing standards across a team that includes both junior and more senior colleagues - this role requires leadership as well as technical skill.
• Excellent organizational, communication (oral and written), and documentation skills.
• Computational fluency.

Nice to have:

• Familiarity with cancer tissue biology and identity marker panels.
• Proficiency with Python or R for data analysis.
• Prior experience mentoring or informally leading junior lab staff.

Life@Noetik

Great science is a team sport. We are focused on creating a culture where brilliant people from different backgrounds can solve hard problems together. At Noetik, culture isn't just about perks; it’s about building a vibrant, collaborative community where everyone has the tools and the autonomy to thrive.

How We Work

Location & Collaboration: our primary lab and office space is located in South San Francisco. We operate as a hybrid organization, utilizing Slack, Zoom, and a modern tech stack to stay seamlessly connected regardless of time zone.

Intentional Connection: we believe that high-impact work requires intentional time together. We keep the team aligned through monthly All-Hands meetings and Quarterly Co-working Weeks at our South San Francisco office. Once a year, we gather for an Annual Reset - a week-long offsite dedicated to high-level strategy, collaboration and team bonding. Past locations have included Austin, TX, Park City, UT, and Boulder, CO.

Onsite Community: For team members working onsite, we foster a collaborative environment and refuel with daily catered lunches from great local restaurants and Boba Thursday - a small but meaningful tradition where we step away from our desks to connect over a break.

How We Support You

Health & Wellbeing: we provide generous health, dental, and vision insurance, with premiums fully covered for both employees and their dependents (depending on your plan choice). Our coverage is designed to be comprehensive and accessible, featuring modern care platforms like OneMedical, Midi Health, Spring Health, and XP Health. To further support your needs, we offer HSA and FSA accounts, dependent care savings, an EAP, resources for mental health (Rula), and health care navigation and advocacy (Rightway).

Time Off & Synchronized Breaks: we offer Flexible PTO to manage your personal time, alongside nine paid holidays. We also offer synchronized breaks so that the team can fully unplug simultaneously -  two full-week company breaks (the first week of July and the last week of December), plus the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Compensation & Financial Benefits: our financial package includes a competitive base salary, stock options, and a 401(k) plan with an employer match. We provide a safety net through fully-covered disability, life and AD&D insurance, as well as generous parental leave. We also offer a suite of financial and lifestyle tools, including SoFi, Multiply Mortgage, and optional programs for pet insurance, legal services, and identity theft protection.

We believe that the highest performing teams include people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences who respectfully challenge each other.  We are committed to an open, diverse and inclusive culture for all employees. Noetik is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status and any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.