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

A healthier future. It’s what drives us to innovate. To continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come. Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love. That’s what makes us Roche .

In Roche´s Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development organisation (pRED) , we make transformative medicines for patients in order to tackle some of the world’s toughest unmet healthcare needs. At pRED, we are united by our mission to transform science into medicine. Together, we create a culture defined by curiosity, responsibility and humility, where our talented people are empowered and inspired to bring forward extraordinary life-changing innovation at speed.

The Therapeutic Modalities (TMo) function is part of the Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) organization. TMo discovers and optimizes innovative drug candidates including small molecules, biologics and nucleic acid-based therapeutics with the goal of delivering novel therapeutic approaches across all pRED Discovery and Translational areas (DTAs).

We are seeking an Associate in Synthetic Biology with a strong interest in the field of drug discovery and development. You will join the Nucleic Acid-Based Medicine (NABM) group within the TMo division at pRED. As a member of NABM, you will collaborate with a diverse group of experts committed to pioneering the next generation of viral and non-viral gene therapies. Together, we cultivate a vibrant and collaborative community, continually exploring and implementing innovative approaches in our research environment.

The Opportunity

As a skilled and detail-oriented Associate Lab Technician, your primary objective will be to execute and advance experiments for the development of novel recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV)-based therapies using design-build-test-learn (DBTL) cycles. As an integral part of our laboratory team, you will actively participate in experimental procedures, leveraging your expertise in molecular biology and cell engineering to develop and test advanced genetic vectors using synthetic biology tools. A passion for hands-on lab work is essential for this role.

Your impact:

• You conduct experimental validation and analysis of designed novel gene therapy payloads using state-of-the-art software, ensuring comprehensive data interpretation to inform decision-making and guide subsequent iterations.

• You collaborate closely with disease experts to integrate genetic, RNA, and protein elements into functional synthetic systems in mammalian cells.

• You apply advanced genome editing and cell engineering technologies to generate tailor-made cell lines for assays and screening, utilising innovative approaches and multi-omics technologies.

• You are a member of local and global project teams where you represent your results to the project and matrix teams.

• You are part of and support a highly ambitious team within the NABM matrix, but also closely collaborate with all Discovery and Translational areas (DTAs) and Pharmaceutical Sciences (PS).

• You are part of the Gene Therapy Discovery team in Therapeutic Modalities (TMo) and collaborate with the Genomic Medicine team.

Who you are

• You hold a Master’s degree in a relevant Life Science discipline (e.g., Biology, Molecular Biology, Synthetic Biology) and have practical lab experience with AAV-based gene therapy.

• You possess expertise in molecular biology (e.g., plasmid design, cloning, RNA engineering, DNA sequencing) and cell engineering (transfection and gene editing).

• You bring hands-on experience with a range of techniques and readouts, including protein detection (FACS and microscopy), DNA/RNA analysis (qPCR, ddPCR, NGS), and cell culture automation.

• You have a strong background in cutting-edge gene editing and cell line engineering technologies, along with experience in generating and screening barcoded libraries.

• You have a flexible mindset for working on innovative platform approaches and various projects, with a strong motivation for problem-solving and generating high-quality data.

• You are fluent in English and have excellent communication and presentation skills.

Unwavering focus, collaborative teamwork and exceptional delivery are key behaviours that drive our mission of doing now what patients need next. Together, we can be transformative.

If you are passionate about contributing to a committed team and have the dedication to partnership and innovation, Roche is the place for you!

Every role at Roche plays a part in making a difference in patients’ lives.

Apply now and join us in making an impact!

To formally apply for this position, please submit your CV and cover letter.

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.