Field Applications Scientist - Boston
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Summary
Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) is seeking a commercially focused and customer-oriented Field Applications Scientist (FAS) to join our Technical Services team. Reporting to the Technical Services Manager, you will work closely with customers, prospective clients, and internal stakeholders to drive technology adoption, support business growth, and ensure customer success with ONT products and workflows. This is a customer-facing role that combines technical expertise with commercial acumen.
Job description
This is a field-based role supporting Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Candidates must reside within the territory, with a preference for individuals based in or within 1hr driving distance from Boston/Cambridge area. Frequent travel, up to 70%, within the assigned region, is required.
Responsibilities Include, But Not Limited To
- Partner with Sales to support commercial opportunities and provide technical expertise throughout the customer lifecycle.
- Deliver pre-sales and post-sales technical support, including customer consultations, workflow discussions, training, and troubleshooting.
- Build and maintain strong technical relationships with customers, ensuring successful adoption and utilization of ONT technologies.
- Deliver presentations, workshops, seminars, and training to a wide range of audiences.
- Collaborate effectively with Technical Services, Sales, Product Management, Marketing, and other internal teams to achieve customer and business objectives.
- Develop and execute engagement plans for strategic accounts, aligned to customer needs and business priorities.
- Provide timely customer, market, and competitive feedback to internal stakeholders.
- Accurately document customer interactions and support activities within ONT's CRM systems.
- Contribute to a team-first culture by supporting colleagues, customers, and strategic initiatives beyond assigned territory responsibilities when required.
What We’re Looking For
- A commercially focused scientist who can balance technical excellence with customer and business objectives.
- An exceptional communicator and presenter, capable of engaging both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- A collaborative team player who works effectively across territories and functions.
- A strong partner to Sales and other internal teams in supporting account strategies and commercial growth.
- A proactive and creative problem-solver with excellent troubleshooting skills.
- A self-motivated individual who thrives in a dynamic, customer-facing environment.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Life Sciences preferred, or a Master’s degree with relevant commercial, customer-facing, or scientific applications experience.
- Strong laboratory background in molecular biology, genetics, genomics, sequencing, or a closely related discipline.
- Experience supporting experimental design, sample preparation, workflow optimization, and data analysis.
- An exceptional scientific communicator and presenter who can translate complex technical concepts into compelling, customer-relevant stories.
- Demonstrated scientific troubleshooting and problem-solving capabilities.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
Preferred Qualifications
- 1-2 years of commercial and customer-facing experience.
- Experience with next-generation sequencing technologies including long-read sequencing and workflows strongly preferred.
- Experience with bioinformatic workflows for sequencing data analysis.
- Ability to uncover underlying customer needs, identify opportunities for broader technology adoption, and proactively partner with Sales to grow accounts.
- Experience delivering scientific training, workshops, or customer presentations.
- Familiarity with CRM systems such as Salesforce.
Requirements
- PhD in Life Sciences preferred, or a Master’s degree with relevant commercial, customer-facing, or scientific applications experience.
- Strong laboratory background in molecular biology, genetics, genomics, sequencing, or a closely related discipline.
- Experience supporting experimental design, sample preparation, workflow optimization, and data analysis.
- An exceptional scientific communicator and presenter who can translate complex technical concepts into compelling, customer-relevant stories.
- Demonstrated scientific troubleshooting and problem-solving capabilities.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
- 1-2 years of commercial and customer-facing experience.
- Experience with next-generation sequencing technologies including long-read sequencing and workflows strongly preferred.
- Experience with bioinformatic workflows for sequencing data analysis.
- Ability to uncover underlying customer needs, identify opportunities for broader technology adoption, and proactively partner with Sales to grow accounts.
- Experience delivering scientific training, workshops, or customer presentations.
- Familiarity with CRM systems such as Salesforce.
Benefits
- Healthcare benefits
- 401(k) plan with company match
- Short-term disability coverage
- Long-term disability coverage
- Basic life insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Annual bonus
- Equity awards
Company overview
Oxford Nanopore Technologies is a pioneering UK-based biotechnology company that has revolutionized DNA and RNA sequencing through its innovative nanopore technology. Founded in 2005 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford, the company has developed the world's first and only nanopore DNA/RNA sequencing platform that offers real-time analysis, scalability from portable to population-scale formats, and the ability to sequence any length of DNA fragment. Their flagship product, the MinION, is a portable DNA sequencer that can be used in diverse settings from remote field locations to advanced laboratories. The company's technology enables the analysis of native DNA or RNA without amplification, providing rich biological data with applications spanning scientific research, healthcare diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial applications. Oxford Nanopore's devices are used in over 120 countries worldwide, empowering researchers to conduct genomic analyses anywhere, from the International Space Station to remote field locations. The company employs over 1,000 professionals across multiple disciplines including nanopore science, molecular biology, informatics, engineering, and manufacturing.