Senior Associate Scientist, RNA Sciences

Senior Associate Scientist, RNA Sciences Watertown, MA About the company

Averna Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing genomic medicines for a broad range of diseases. Our technology leverages naturally occurring genetic elements found in safe harbor loci in nature to deliver new genes via mRNA and lipid nanoparticles to achieve precise, safe, and durable insertion of entire therapeutic genes. Backed by an expert team and experienced investors, we are poised to transform the landscape of genomic medicine, offering treatments that can be re‑dosed and titrated with curative intent to bring hope to patients suffering from genetic diseases, cancer, and autoimmune conditions.

Averna Therapeutics is seeking a motivated candidate to play a key role in advancing RNA and LNP analytical capabilities to support research and process development. This role will split time across 4 core areas: method development for both LNPs and RNA, analytical CRO support, RNA production support, and routine RNA characterization. This person will report to the Associate Director of Analytical Development and work closely with other leaders across the company to support RNA‑based programs.

This individual will operate at the interface of process development and analytics, helping to build scalable, data‑driven workflows that support research progression and future CMC readiness. A successful candidate will have exceptional organizational and communication skills; as well as demonstrate remarkable attention to detail and excellent documentation skills. A highly collaborative spirit is needed as this person will interface with internal stakeholders, lead scientists (onsite and overseas), and with CDMOs/CROs as needed.

This role entails overseeing day‑to‑day sample analysis, data collection, and analytical analysis trending to support in vivo workflows. Maintaining thorough and timely records of protocols, experiments, and results is required. This person will provide progress updates on projects to key stakeholders.

• Develop, optimize, and troubleshoot analytical and characterization methods for both lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations and RNA.
• Support evaluation of LNP attributes including size distribution, encapsulation efficiency, polydispersity, potency, and stability, design experiments to understand structure–function relationships and formulation performance.
• Serve as the primary technical liaison between internal teams and CRO partners, supporting RNA and LNP analytical testing.
• Support RNA production workflows (e.g., IVT and purification) and assist in scale‑up efforts and process optimization initiatives.
• Perform routine analytical testing to assess RNA integrity, purity, concentration, and key quality attributes (e.g., dsRNA content, capping efficiency, residual impurities).
• Interpret and integrate data across multiple analytical techniques to guide process development decisions.
• Generate and review technical reports to support development milestones, ensure data integrity and documentation practices are aligned with development‑stage expectations, and maintain electronic lab notebook

• M.S. in relevant biology discipline with at least 4 years of industry experience or B.S. with 6 years of experience. Drug development experience is highly desired. Level will be commensurate with experience.
• Hands‑on experience with RNA analytical methods and/or LNP characterization techniques (e.g., DLS, AF4‑MALS, PCR‑based techniques, CE).
• Experience in RNA production (IVT and purification) preferred.
• Strong experimental design, data analysis, and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in a cross‑functional, fast‑paced environment.
• Ability to analyze and summarize scientific data for key stakeholders, communicate timely updates, and report protocol modifications to the scientific team.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast‑paced start‑up environment.
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills.
• This position is well‑suited for a detail‑oriented scientist eager to contribute to therapeutic advancements in a collaborative setting.

• Office/Lab located in Watertown, MA and onsite work is required. Some off‑hours may be needed to support in‑vivo studies, although additional technical support will be scheduled as available.
• General ability to flex work time/days to account for meetings across time zones.