Applications Scientist – Cell Therapy Automation

Applications Scientist – Cell Therapy Automation
Cell X Technologies – Woburn, MA

Cell X is seeking an Applications Scientist to join our growing team and contribute to the development and deployment of our Celligent™ automated cell processing platform.

This role focuses on designing and executing experiments on the Celligent platform to support internal development and demonstrate the capabilities of the system to customers. The successful candidate will work at the intersection of biology, automation, imaging, and software, helping translate complex biological workflows into reproducible and automated processes.

As a member of the Applications team, you will contribute to experimental development, automation validation, and troubleshooting while collaborating closely with scientists, biomedical engineers, software engineers, and mechanical engineers. We are looking for individuals who combine strong biological skills and technical savvy across automation, instrumentation, and software—people excited to work at the intersection of biology and technology.

This is an opportunity to join a growing company at an early stage and help shape the development of its products, processes, and culture.

Occasional travel may be required.  Some weekend work will be necessary and flexible hours will be arranged to accommodate.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Experimental Design and Execution:

• Design and execute experiments on Cell X’s automation platform (Celligent™) to automate adherent cell and stem-cell–derived therapeutic workflows.
• Plan and execute experiments, with guidance from senior scientific staff, to support internal development and external customer projects.
• Troubleshoot experimental workflows and automation processes to achieve experimental objectives.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data and recommend improvements to biological protocols and automated workflows.
• Perform validation and verification (V&V) studies of automated workflows and platform capabilities prior to deployment for client-facing applications.
• Ensure experimental rigor, reproducibility, and replicability when validating automated protocols and processes.

Laboratory Techniques and Procedures:

• Perform hands-on mammalian cell culture, maintaining adherent mammalian cell lines using proper aseptic technique.
• Apply (where applicable) DOE approaches to optimize automated cell culture processes and process parameters.
• Conduct cellular and molecular assays including RNA/DNA extraction, PCR/qPCR, ELISA, microscopy, and flow cytometry (training provided as needed).
• Maintain accurate and detailed laboratory records and experimental documentation.
• Comply standard laboratory practices and company procedures to ensure quality and traceability of experimental work.

Collaboration, Communication, and Organizational Skills:

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including software engineers, mechanical engineers, AI/ML specialists, and stem cell scientists.
• Communicate experimental plans, progress, and findings clearly and transparently in team meetings and project discussions.
• Proactively communicate with team members and seek assistance when encountering challenges or troubleshooting roadblocks, ensuring issues are addressed efficiently.
• Demonstrate a “learn by doing” and problem-solving mindset, taking ownership of challenges while remaining open to input from colleagues.
• Organize work effectively to meet project objectives and timelines.
• Must be willing to take on occasional non-scientific responsibilities required to run the applications lab

 

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications and Educational Background:

• Authorization to work in the U.S. required.
• MSc or PhD in Stem Cell Biology, Biomedical Engineering, or related discipline with a minimum of 1-2 years of relevant industry/postdoc work experience, preferably in an applications, tools, or services role supporting the cell and gene therapy / life sciences industry.

Technical Skills and Experience:

• Hands-on experience with mammalian tissue culture techniques and aseptic laboratory practices is required.
• Demonstrated ability to learn by doing with strong technical curiosity and excellent troubleshooting skills.
• Familiarity with laboratory software tools and basic statistical analysis for experimental data.
• Experience working at the intersection of biology and technology, including biological experimentation combined with automation, imaging, data systems, or laboratory software.
• Understanding of the rigor, organization, and documentation required for validation and verification studies of products and workflows intended for client delivery.
• Willingness to learn and execute cellular, molecular, and biochemical assays used to characterize cell cultures (flow cytometry, microscopy, RNA-seq, etc.).
• General understanding of the therapeutic drug development or cell therapy process is a plus.

Communication/ Organization:

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-moving environment.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple experiments and projects simultaneously.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in dynamic or ambiguous (“gray zone”) environments where priorities may evolve.
• Demonstrated respectful communication and collaborative awareness, including the ability to listen actively, and engage with colleagues from different disciplines with curiosity and openness, recognizing and valuing expertise beyond one’s own area.

The following are preferred, but not required:

• Experience with gene editing, transfection, or iPSC reprogramming.
• Experience with coding or scripting.
• Experience in tools or technology development, particularly in life science instrumentation or automation.
• Familiarity with computational biology, bioinformatics, or AI/ML-based analysis tools.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 401K
• Health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• Paid vacation and annual holiday allowance
• Excellent opportunity to enter a startup company at an early stage and make a real difference

 

The Company

Cell X is pioneering a revolution in cell processing technology. At the core of this transformation is the Celligent™ automation platform, an integrated system combining automation, imaging, data analytics, and machine learning to enable the development of consistent, reproducible, and scalable cell therapy manufacturing processes.

Celligent helps therapeutic developers translate complex biological workflows into documented, reproducible, and GMP-compatible processes, accelerating the path from research to clinical manufacturing. Our mission is to advance the promise of cellular therapies and make these transformative treatments accessible to patients worldwide.

As an equal opportunity employer, Cell X Technologies does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin or veteran status.  We recognize the value that diversity brings and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for team members from all backgrounds.