Senior Scientist, Beta Islet

Company: Sana Biotechnology
Location: Cambridge
Posted on: July 12, 2025

Job Description:

About the role Sana Biotechnology is growing, and we are hiring new team members who believe in the potential of engineered cells as medicines, who want to challenge status quo, and who lead with the desire to work on novel ideas. You will join the Beta Islet Team at the Cambridge location to perform and optimize routine stem cell (SC)-islets differentiation. As a Senior Scientist, you will perform in-depth characterization of the cell product. The ideal candidate should have extensive knowledge of pancreatic islet biology and development pathways. Candidates should have sufficient expertise to teach and troubleshoot these techniques and ensure the quality of data collection. The senior scientist will be responsible for daily tasks involving the growth, differentiation, and characterization of pluripotent stem cells to support a cell-based therapeutic program. This role will work closely with the cell manufacturing team to adapt the methods for clinical scale. The successful candidate will report to the Senior Program Team lead. What you’ll do Execute routine directed differentiation of stem cells towards islet cells Perform analytical assays to comprehensively characterize cell populations in SC-islets Strong understanding of pancreatic islet biology, developmental pathways, and cellular composition through the course of stem cell-derived islet differentiation Expertise in analytical methods to characterize cell populations, including genomics data Maintain excellent scientific documentation and contribute to SOP development Assuring compliance with all relevant lab safety and biosafety regulations Demonstrate Sana’s core values and the attributes that support these core values (Lead from every seat, Thrive as a team, Make it happen) Engage in crucial conversations by providing and receiving feedback supporting the growth and development of team members Demonstrate ability to engage and effectively influence team members across multidisciplinary teams while prioritizing multiple projects and meeting deadlines Drive curiosity, scientific rigor, and excellent problem-solving skills across a fast-paced performance-driven environment Innate ability to assess talent that will help grow the organization and add to Sana’s culture What we’re looking for PhD, MSc or BSc in Stem cell biology, biochemical/biomedical Engineering or related fields with 3-5 years (PhD), 5-7 years (MSc) or 7-9 years (BSc) of direct cell therapy industry experience Background in pancreatic biology and/or endodermal development preferred Expertise in directed stem cell differentiation towards pancreatic islet lineages Hands-on experience in Flow cytometry, Immunofluorescent staining, and Microscopy Experience in leading a small team of research associates Excellent interpersonal, communicative, and problem-solving skills Proficiency with MS Office, and with standard programs for statistical analysis (e.g., GraphPad Prism) Working safely in person on a predictable and regular in-person basis is an essential job function for this position What you should know The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $150,000 and $175,000/year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience How we work together for patients Lead from every seat – we seek to understand, act with honesty, and engage in the crucial conversations Thrive as a team – we hire amazing people, are intensely curious, and cultivate inclusion and personal connectivity Make it happen – we value vigorous debate, alignment around our decisions, and resilient execution Get to know us At Sana, we believe that a diverse workforce strengthens us as a company and helps us to achieve our mission to meaningfully change the outcome of many human diseases. This belief is a pillar of our business and is critical to our success. Our goal is that Sana is the place for talented people to bring their authentic selves to work, to have a great career and to deeply, positively impact patients. Core to our values, we believe there is nothing more important than the health and wellness of you and your family. For benefit eligible employees, we cover 100% of the cost for employee health coverage and offer generous time-off (various paid time off benefits, such as holidays, vacation, sick time, and parental leave), short- and long-term disability, employer paid basic life insurance, additional voluntary life insurance protection, financial wellness programs including financial planning resources, a 401(k) Plan with an immediately vested employer match, Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, commuter subsidy and a variety of wellness offerings to support each person individually. For more details on our benefits, visit Sana’s Benefits Portal . We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental or sensory disability (including the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability), genetic information, actual or perceived HIV or Hepatitis C infection, medical condition (cancer or a record or history of cancer and genetic characteristics), marital status, sexual orientation, sexual preference, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), disability, veteran status, political ideology, social class (including caste/caste identity), taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The job description listed above is representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions described above.

Keywords: Sana Biotechnology, Plymouth , Senior Scientist, Beta Islet, Science, Research & Development , Cambridge, Massachusetts