Job Description

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

The AAV Production and Characterization (Senior) Research Associate will be involved in the end-to-end (E2E) production process of recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) within the Viral Technologies (VT) team in the Large Molecule Research and Nucleic Acids-Based Medicines (LMR-NABM) department at pRED. The candidate will work in process optimization and analytical development to improve the current platform as well as conducting research experiments related to the field.

This position requires experience in research-scale rAAV production using suspension cell lines and good knowledge in common purification and characterization methods. To cover the entire production workflow, we are looking for someone that also has expertise in molecular biology including various DNA cloning and plasmid preparation methods.

The Opportunity

• Support the E2E research-scale rAAV production platform, as well as the development of upstream and downstream processes.

• Execution of analytical methods for in-process and final product samples to assess rAAV characterization according to established SOPs.

• Troubleshooting, process optimization and identification of critical parameters to ensure maximum efficiency and quality.

• Participation in lab organization, ordering and equipment maintenance.

• Writing protocols and preparation of internal reports in our electronic laboratory documentation system according to guidelines. Data analysis and presentation of findings in internal and external meetings to support scientific conclusions.

• Cross-functional environment where the candidate will have the opportunity to work with different disease therapeutic areas (DTAs).

• Collaboration with the counterpart teams from other sites within the company.

Who You Are

• You hold a BSc or MSc degree in Biotechnology, Biology, Bioengineering, Biochemistry, or a related field.

• You bring 2+ years of relevant work experience within the life sciences industry.

• You have hands-on experience working with viral vectors (rAAVs preferred).

• You are skilled in molecular biology techniques (PCR, ELISA, Western Blot, plasmid design, molecular cloning).

• You possess extensive experience in cell culture and sterile techniques within BSL2 environments, including transient transfection and transduction.

• You have solid knowledge of major rAAV purification and characterization methods.

• You are comfortable and experienced working in BSL2 environments.

• You are an efficient communicator with a strong drive for continuous learning, an analytical mindset, and a solution-oriented approach with a sense of urgency.

• You demonstrate proactivity in planning experiments and maintain an organized, structured working style.

• You showcase excellent organizational skills, working seamlessly both independently and as a self-driven team player.

• You are proficient in MS Office, Google Workspace, GraphPad Prism, and molecular biology software (e.g., SnapGene, Geneious), with a strong commitment to accurate ELN documentation.

• You are fluent in English (written and spoken).

Ready to make an impact? We look forward to receiving your application!

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.