---
title: 'Research Associate, Formulation Development (Contract) at 4D Molecular Therapeutics'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/research-associate-formulation-development-contract-4d-molecular-therapeutics-pfa7f1vctz9z'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-13'
---

# Research Associate, Formulation Development (Contract) at 4D Molecular Therapeutics

- **Company:** 4D Molecular Therapeutics
- **Location:** Emeryville, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-09-09
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-13
- **Apply:** https://4dmoleculartherapeutics.com/careers/?gh_jid=4731936005

## Job description

Attention recruitment agencies: All agency inquiries are vetted through 4DMT’s internal Talent Acquisition team. No unsolicited resumes will be accepted. The 4DMT Talent Acquisition team must expressly engage agencies on any requisition. Agencies contacting hiring managers directly will not be tolerated, and doing so may impact your ability to work with 4DMT in the future.

4DMT is a leading late-stage biotechnology company advancing durable and disease-targeted therapeutics with potential to transform treatment paradigms and provide unprecedented benefits to patients. The Company’s lead product candidate 4D-150 is designed to be a backbone therapy forming the foundation of treatment of blinding retinal vascular diseases by providing multi-year sustained delivery of anti-VEGF (aflibercept and anti-VEGF-C) with a single, safe, intravitreal injection, which substantially reduces the treatment burden associated with current bolus injections. The Company’s lead indication for 4D-150 is wet age-related macular degeneration, which is currently in Phase 3 development, and second indication is diabetic macular edema. The Company’s second product candidate is 4D-710, which is the first known genetic medicine to demonstrate successful delivery and expression of the CFTR transgene in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis after aerosol delivery

## GENERAL SUMMARY

4DMT is seeking a motivated Research Associate, Formulation Development (Contract) to support pre-formulation and formulation development activities for biologic products. This role reports to the Principal Scientist, Process Development. This contract role requires onsite, lab-based work five days per week in Emeryville, California. Primary responsibilities include formulation screening, accelerated stability, forced degradation, material/device compatibility and formulation analytics. Requisites include a B.S. degree, a willingness to learn, good communication skills and a general enthusiasm for science.

## MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Execute high-throughput, plate-based formulation screening, including formulation preparation, stability studies, sample testing, data analysis, and documentation.
- Support prefilled-syringe and other container/device compatibility assessments.
- Formulation analytics including but not limited to Size-Exclusion Multi-Angle Light Scattering, Differential Scanning Fluorimetry, Dynamic Light Scattering, pH and osmo testing.
- Collaboration with Upstream PD, Downstream PD and AD/QC

## QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

- Bachelors of Science Degree

Experience:

- 0+ years of experience within the Biotech or similar industry
- Strong foundational laboratory skills, including accurate pipetting, solution preparation, weighing, basic laboratory calculations, and data organization using Excel.
- Hands-on laboratory experience gained through academic research, internships, or industry.
- Experience with preformulation, formulation development, stability studies, drug-product process development, or downstream process development is preferred.
- Experience with biologics, including proteins, antibodies, or AAV/gene therapy, is a plus.

Other Qualifications/Skills:

- Applicant should possess a general competency in Microsoft based applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Prior experience with statistical tools (e.g., JMP) or Prefilled Syringe development is preferred, but not required

Travel: This role does not require travel outside of the main office. However, may provide opportunities to travel in future (e.g., to attend conferences or oversee outsourced activities)

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

- Physical Activity - Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling. Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.
- Physical Requirements - Lifting up to 20 lbs, bending, lifting, twisting, ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment such as lab coat, goggles/glasses, and nitrile gloves
- Working Conditions - The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (as in typical office or administrative work).

Hourly compensation range: $39.00 - $45.00 / HOUR

Please note, the base salary compensation range and actual salary offered to the final candidate depends on various factors: candidate’s geographical location, relevant work experience, skills, and years of experience. 4DMT provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, status as a covered veteran, and any other category protected under applicable federal, state, provincial and local laws.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

## About 4D Molecular Therapeutics

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: 4D Molecular Therapeutics is a late-stage clinical biotechnology company inventing and developing customized genetic medicines using a proprietary vector evolution platform to treat large-market diseases.
- **Entity Type**: Public (NASDAQ: FDMT)
- **Headquarters**: Emeryville, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2013
- **Founders**: David Kirn, MD (Co-Founder, President, and CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Biotechnology / Genetic Medicine / Gene Therapy
- **Target customers**: B2B (partnerships with other biopharma companies) and B2C (patients with retinal and pulmonary diseases)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "To unlock the full potential of genetic medicines for large market diseases" by harnessing directed evolution to invent customized and enhanced vectors for transformative products.

## Products & Services
- **4D-150**: A clinical-stage genetic medicine candidate for retinal vascular diseases (wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema). It is designed as a single, routine, low-dose intravitreal injection that provides multi-year sustained delivery of anti-VEGF (aflibercept and anti-VEGF-C). Currently in Phase 3 clinical trials (4FRONT-1 and 4FRONT-2) for wet AMD and Phase 1/2 for DME.
- **4D-710**: An investigational genetic medicine candidate for cystic fibrosis lung disease. It uses the A101 vector for aerosol delivery of a corrective CFTR transgene (CFTR∆R) and is designed for patients ineligible for or who have discontinued CFTR modulator therapy. Currently in Phase 1/2.
- **4D-175**: A preclinical candidate for geographic atrophy (a form of dry AMD) using the R100 vector to deliver a shortened form of human complement factor H (sCFH) to restore normal complement regulation.
- **4D-725**: A preclinical candidate for alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT) lung disease using the A101 vector for aerosol delivery.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: $756.4 million (as of latest data from LinkedIn)
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue of $85.2 million (as of latest data from LinkedIn)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: The company is publicly traded (IPO in 2020). Key partnerships are sought for pipeline candidates like 4D-175 and 4D-725.
- **Growth Signals**: The company is a late-stage biotech with two Phase 3 trials (4FRONT-1 and 4FRONT-2) for its lead candidate 4D-150 in wet AMD, and a Phase 1/2 trial for 4D-710 in cystic fibrosis. The company has a presence in Ecuador, France, and India. LinkedIn followers grew 24.7% year-over-year.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proprietary Vector Platform (Therapeutic Vector Evolution)**: The company uses directed evolution to create customized and proprietary AAV vectors (e.g., R100 for retina, A101 for lung) that are optimized for specific tissues and routes of administration, which is a significant differentiator from standard gene therapy approaches.
- **Large-Market Focus**: Unlike many gene therapy companies targeting ultra-rare diseases, 4DMT is focused on large-market indications (wet AMD, DME, cystic fibrosis) with high unmet need, offering a potentially massive commercial opportunity.
- **Durable, Single-Dose Therapies**: Their products are designed to provide multi-year efficacy from a single injection, which could dramatically reduce treatment burden for patients compared to current standard-of-care (e.g., frequent eye injections for wet AMD).

## Strategic Focus
- **Advancing Late-Stage Pipeline**: The primary focus is executing the Phase 3 programs for 4D-150 in wet AMD and progressing 4D-710 in cystic fibrosis.
- **Expanding Indications**: The company is exploring 4D-150 for diabetic macular edema (DME) and seeking partnerships to advance 4D-175 (geographic atrophy) and 4D-725 (A1AT deficiency).
- **Platform Expansion**: Continuing to leverage the Therapeutic Vector Evolution platform to develop new genetic medicines for other large-market diseases.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-Driven Culture**: The company is deeply committed to "daring to cure" and unlocking the potential of genetic medicine for patients with devastating diseases. Core values include "Dare to Cure," "Break Boundaries," "Prepare & Execute Relentlessly," and "Beyond Yourself."
- **Innovative Science**: Employees work on cutting-edge science at the intersection of gene therapy, vector engineering, and clinical development, tackling some of the biggest challenges in medicine.
- **Collaborative Environment**: The company emphasizes teamwork, internal and external collaboration, and a culture that empowers innovation.
- **Location & Perks**: Based in Emeryville, CA (San Francisco Bay Area). The company offers a competitive benefits package and a dynamic, collaborative environment.
- **Diversity & Inclusion**: 4DMT champions diversity, equity, and inclusion through an employee-led initiative called "4Diversity," which partners with charitable organizations and focuses on social equity.
- **Work Authorization**: Candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S. The company does not sponsor new nonimmigrant visa status petitions but welcomes candidates who require transfers or extensions.

## Sources
1. [4dmoleculartherapeutics.com](https://4dmoleculartherapeutics.com/)
2. [4dmoleculartherapeutics.com - About](https://4dmoleculartherapeutics.com/about/)
3. [4dmoleculartherapeutics.com - Careers](https://4dmoleculartherapeutics.com/careers/)
4. [4dmoleculartherapeutics.com - Pipeline](https://4dmoleculartherapeutics.com/pipeline/)
5. [LinkedIn - 4D Molecular Therapeutics](https://www.linkedin.com/company/4d-molecular-therapeutics-llc)

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