Senior Scientist, Vector Biology

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at jnj.com

As guided by Our Credo, Johnson & Johnson is responsible to our employees who work with us throughout the world.  We provide an inclusive work environment where each person is considered as an individual.  At Johnson & Johnson, we respect the diversity and dignity of our employees and recognize their merit.

Job Function:

Discovery & Pre-Clinical/Clinical Development

Job Sub Function:

Biological Research

Job Category:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America

Job Description:

About Innovative Medicine

Our expertise in Innovative Medicine is informed and inspired by patients, whose insights fuel our science-based advancements. Visionaries like you work on teams that save lives by developing the medicines of tomorrow.

Join us in developing treatments, finding cures, and pioneering the path from lab to life while championing patients every step of the way.

Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/innovative-medicine

We are searching for the best talent for a Senior Scientist, Vector Biology to be in Cambridge, MA.

Purpose:

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced scientist to join our CAR-T cell therapy discovery efforts as a Senior Scientist. In this role, you will play a key part in advancing our research initiatives by leveraging your expertise in viral vectors and molecular biology. 

This position presents a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research in CAR-T cell therapy. If you are passionate about advancing scientific discovery and possess a collaborative mindset, we invite you to apply! 

You will be responsible for: 

• Take part in designing, modifying, optimizing, and screening viral envelopes/proteins to target delivery for specific cell types of interest. 

• Apply virology, molecular biology, cell biology, and biochemistry methods to establish rigorous experimental workflows and protocols for optimizing and analyzing design outcomes. 

• Support the development of innovative vector analytical and characterization assays. 

• Contribute to optimization efforts focused on increasing viral titer, potency, and purity to enhance the overall efficiency of production processes. 

• Utilize your extensive knowledge in vector design, virology, and molecular biology to contribute meaningfully to our cell therapy platform and pipeline development. 

• Apply your experience in enveloped virus design and tropism engineering to optimize viral vector delivery to specific cell types of interest.  

• Support the development of innovative vector analytical and characterization assays. 

• Contribute to optimization efforts focused on increasing viral titer and purity to enhance the overall efficiency of production processes. 

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to test viral vector designs, ensuring the delivery of reliable and consistent data. Present data to research and cross-functional teams. 

• Stay informed about industry developments, continuously learn, and thrive in a fast-paced team environment. 

• Deliver results in alignment with project timelines while maintaining accountability for your work. 

• Ensure compliance with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) protocols. 

Qualifications: 

• Ph.D. in a relevant field (e.g. Pharmaceutical Science, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, etc.) with 1-2 years of relevant experience OR a Master’s or Bachelor’s degree with extensive experience.

• Significant hands-on experience in enveloped viruses and viral vector engineering including production and characterization. 

• Demonstrated experience engineering, testing, and optimizing pseudotyped lentiviral vectors is strongly preferred. 

• Strong knowledge of molecular and cell biology techniques, such as cell culture of various cell types, and flow cytometry, qPCR, immunofluorescence, and protein-based methods (Westen Blot, ELISA). 

• Experience with high throughput assays, techniques, and workflows preferred. 

• Highly organized and meticulous, with the ability to handle and pursue multiple projects in parallel with a high degree of autonomy. 

• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills to develop creative, innovative solutions and meet project objectives. 

• Strong collaboration skills and ability to operate effectively within a team environment. 

• Experience in maintaining accurate and detailed records of experimental procedures, data, and results in a well-organized electronic lab notebook to ensure reproducibility and accessibility for team members. 

• Excellent presentation, verbal communication, and scientific/technical writing skills. 

Johnson & Johnson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Johnson and Johnson is committed to providing an interview process that is inclusive of our applicants’ needs. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, please email the Employee Health Support Center (ra-employeehealthsup@its.jnj.com) or contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

Required Skills:

 

 

Preferred Skills:

Accelerating, Analytical Reasoning, Clinical Data Management, Critical Thinking, Data Analysis, Data Reporting, Data Savvy, Design of Experiments (DOE), Drug Discovery Development, Issue Escalation, Molecular Diagnostics, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Product Knowledge, Research Proposals, Scientific Research, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Technologically Savvy

 

 

The anticipated base pay range for this position is :

$109,000.00 - $174,800.00

Additional Description for Pay Transparency:

Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k)).

Subject to the terms of their respective policies and date of hire, employees are eligible for the following time off benefits:
• Vacation –120 hours per calendar year
• Sick time - 40 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Colorado –48 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Washington –56 hours per calendar year
• Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays –13 days per calendar year
• Work, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 hours per calendar year
• Parental Leave – 480 hours within one year of the birth/adoption/foster care of a child
• Bereavement Leave – 240 hours for an immediate family member: 40 hours for an extended family member per calendar year
• Caregiver Leave – 80 hours in a 52-week rolling period10 days
• Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year
• Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year

For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: - https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits

Global healthcare company spanning pharmaceuticals, medtech, and consumer health products. Headquartered in New Brunswick, NJ.

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