About this role
About you:
You're a careful, hands-on technologist who takes pride in high-quality chromosome preparations and confident karyotype calls. You are comfortable bringing an established cytogenetics workflow into a new laboratory environment—setting up the process, confirming that it performs consistently, documenting it clearly, and troubleshooting issues as they arise. You're at home at the microscope and equally happy in a tissue-culture hood keeping iPSC lines healthy. You're collaborative, easy-going, proactive in how you communicate, and flexible about scheduling when the culture rotation calls for it.
What you'll do in this role:
- Transfer in, implement, and document an established G-banding and karyotyping workflow in-house for HSC program cell products.
- Execute the full cytogenetics workflow (initially in research/PD and then in our GMP suite): metaphase arrest, cell harvest, hypotonic treatment, slide preparation, fixation, Giemsa staining, metaphase imaging, and software-assisted karyotype analysis.
- Compare initial in-house results against historical data and document appropriate operating and quality-control criteria.
- Analyze metaphase spreads to identify numerical and structural chromosomal abnormalities, and document findings clearly.
- Support genomic-stability assessment of human primary cells
- Culture, passage, expand, bank, and prepare iPSC samples in preparation for karyotyping
- Track clone-level genomic stability, passage number, culture conditions, and QC status across lines.
- Coordinate with CROs shipments of samples for genomic instability analysis
- Maintain organized records, sample tracking, and imaging files, and develop SOPs for the workflows you build.
You might thrive in this role if you:
- Have several years of hands-on G-banding and karyotype analysis experience, with demonstrated ability to make independent chromosome assessments and troubleshoot chromosome preparation and image quality.
- Have experience with imaging software such as MetaSystems / Ikaros or Cytovision.
- Have hands-on mammalian cell culture experience with strong sterile technique.
- Are comfortable with high-magnification microscopy.
- Are highly organized and able to run multiple clone/sample workflows in parallel.
- Are available for weekend work as part of a team rotation.
Bonus if you:
- Have experience standing up or validating a new assay in-house.
- Hold current CG(ASCP) certification in cytogenetics.
- Hold a Bachelor's or Master's degree in cell biology, molecular biology, cytogenetics, genetics, stem cell biology, biomedical sciences, or a related field.
- Have hands-on experience maintaining iPSC cultures.
At Retro, we don't use titles. New hires join as a "Member of X Team." The expectations for this role are generally aligned to the level of Cytogenetics Technologist.
Total compensation also includes generous equity and benefits including:
Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family
401(k) plan with 4% matching
Unlimited time off and 10 company holidays per year
Annual learning & development stipend
Free lunch and snacks