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 genomics and epigenetics of cancer. The specific focus for this position involves developing assays using ctDNA/cfDNA in cancer diagnostics.  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 position has a competitive salary with excellent benefits.

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.
• Build robust cloud-based workflows and scalable pipelines for large-scale genomic data processing.
• 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.

Candidates with strong interest and/or expertise in any of these research areas are highly encouraged to apply

• Developmental biology; cancer genomics, liquid biopsies, tumor evolution/heterogeneity, epigenetics, single-cell omics
• Application of statistical modeling, algorithm design, artificial intelligence and machine learning, explainable AI to study cancer and genetics.
• Analysis of large, complex genome, epigenome or transcriptome data.

This position requires full-time onsite work at our South Lake Union campus in Seattle

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 and expertise with programming languages and environments such as R, Python, others.
• Demonstrated experience in liquid biopsy assay development (cfDNA/ctDNA).
• Hands-on experience with NGS-based assays, including epigenetic assays such as cfDNA methylation sequencing.
• Strong background in processing and analyzing large-scale genomic datasets (WGS, methylation, cfDNA fragmentation, variant calling).
• Significant experience with Python, R, and workflow managers (bash, Snakemake, Nextflow).
• Expertise developing machine learning and deep learning models.
• Experience with assay optimization and analytical validation (LOD, specificity, reproducibility).
• Understanding of ctDNA biology, cfDNA fragmentation, tumor heterogeneity, and multi-omic biomarker design.
• 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:

• Demonstrated success developing cost-effective, scalable liquid biopsy assays.
• Hands-on experience with ddPCR, low-pass WGS, targeted panel design, library prep, or other quantitative molecular platforms.
• Experience translating computational methods to the clinic, including CLIA/CAP LDT development.
• 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. 

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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.

This position is not eligible for H-1B sponsorship at this time.

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).

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, disability (physical or mental), marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, or membership in any other legally protected class. We desire priority referrals of protected veterans. If due to a disability you need assistance/and or a reasonable accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to Human Resources at hrops@fredhutch.org or by calling 206-667-4700.