Senior Clinical Genomics Scientist

Summary

Join Natera's R&D team as a Senior Clinical Genomics Scientist - Somatic and contribute to the development and improvement of somatic cancer genetic testing offerings. You will work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to curate, interpret, and report somatic cancer variants, ensuring compliance with relevant guidelines and regulations. This role involves developing SOPs, supporting product development, managing data, and producing high-quality results. The position requires a Master's degree (PhD preferred) in a related field, along with significant experience in clinical genomics and somatic variant interpretation. Natera offers a fully remote work environment and a competitive benefits package.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Genomics, or a related field required
• Minimum of 3 years of post-PhD clinical curation experience or 5 years of post-MS experience in clinical genomics
• Hands-on experience in somatic variant interpretation in a clinical diagnostic setting is required
• Expertise in somatic variant curation using clinical guidelines for cancer variant classification
• Deep understanding of the regulatory landscape, including FDA, CAP, CLIA, and NCCN recommendations for clinical somatic cancer genomics and variant reporting
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a proven track record of writing technical documentation, SOPs, and clinical reports
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while driving complex projects forward
• Strong organizational skills, with attention to detail in record-keeping, documentation management, and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to work collaboratively across diverse teams, managing cross-functional communication and aligning somatic variant interpretation processes across departments
• Flexibility to occasionally work outside standard hours (evenings, weekends) to meet project deadlines
• Must maintain a current status on Natera training requirements
• The employee must pass a post-offer criminal background check

Responsibilities

• Work with Clinical Genomics R&D team members to support product/process development activities for the curation, interpretation, and reporting of somatic cancer variants
• Support somatic variant curation, interpretation, and reporting product development activities for oncology, ensuring adherence to guidelines such as AMP, ASCO, NCCN, CAP, FDA etc. and leveraging tools and databases such as cBioPortal, OncoKB, therapy-related databases, and clinical trial databases
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for somatic variant interpretation and reporting, ensuring they comply with the relevant regulations and recommendations
• Collaborate with the Product Development team to apply variant- and gene-level expertise, ensuring the development of clinically relevant somatic cancer genomics tools and reports
• Summarize data in spreadsheets, graphs, and presentations
• Ensure data quality and traceability for reporting and compliance purposes
• Perform duties with minimal to moderate supervision
• Produce high-quality, reproducible results to a high technical standard
• Maintain accurate and well-organized records, worksheets, and notebooks; summarize data in spreadsheets, graphs and presentations
• Perform other tasks as specified by the manager/director

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD strongly preferred
• Product development experience, especially in somatic cancer diagnostics or variant interpretation tools, is highly valued
• Familiarity with bioinformatics pipelines and variant interpretation software
• Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret complex somatic cancer genomic data

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents
• Natera employees and their immediate families receive free testing in addition to fertility care benefits
• Pregnancy and baby bonding leave
• 401k benefits
• Commuter benefits
• Generous employee referral program
• Fully remote position