Principle Research Associate, Research & Innovation

Genmab•Plainsboro Township, NJ

About The Position

At Genmab, we are dedicated to building extra[not]ordinary® futures, together, by developing antibody products and groundbreaking, knock-your-socks-off KYSO antibody medicines® that change lives and the future of cancer treatment and serious diseases. We strive to create, champion and maintain a global workplace where individuals’ unique contributions are valued and drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our patients, care partners, families and employees. Our people are compassionate, candid, and purposeful, and our business is innovative and rooted in science. We believe that being proudly authentic and determined to be our best is essential to fulfilling our purpose. Yes, our work is incredibly serious and impactful, but we have big ambitions, bring a ton of care to pursuing them, and have a lot of fun while doing so. Does this inspire you and feel like a fit? Then we would love to have you join us! Genmab is seeking a highly motivated Principal Research Associate to join the Clinical Genomics laboratory within the Bioanalytical and Biomarker Science (BBS) organization in Princeton, NJ. Clinical Genomics partners closely with Pathology, Translational Medicine, Clinical Operations, and Data Science to generate high quality tissue and liquid biopsy genomic datasets that answer time sensitive translational questions across Genmab clinical trials. This is a lab facing role for someone who enjoys hands on execution, troubleshooting, and scaling robust workflows for clinical samples. Role and Responsibilities This is a hands-on, lab facing Principal Research Associate role responsible for delivering clinical sequencing workflows from start to finish across FFPE tumor RNA sequencing and gene expression profiling, tumor DNA sequencing including WES, and plasma based ctDNA. You will own day to day bench execution and the operational discipline needed to run these assays reliably at scale for clinical trials. The work includes receiving and processing clinical specimens with strong chain of custody, performing nucleic acid extractions, quantification, and QC, preparing libraries using clinically appropriate methods for FFPE and cfDNA, and running Illumina sequencers with full ownership of run setup, indexing strategy, pooling, sample sheet accuracy, and run monitoring. You will make clear QC decisions using defined acceptance criteria, apply practical troubleshooting and rescue approaches for low input or degraded clinical material when appropriate, and drive root cause investigations when performance drifts across batches or studies. You will maintain rigorous documentation in LIMS and ELN, author and maintain SOPs, batch records, checklists, and contribute to assay validation, periodic quality assessments, and continuous improvement. A key expectation is improving throughput and consistency through automation or semi automation of extraction and library preparation using platforms such as KingFisher, Beckman, Hamilton, Tecan, or equivalents. You will coordinate closely with Pathology on slide planning and tissue constraints, with Clinical Operations on sample tracking and timelines, and with bioinformatics and data science partners to ensure clean data handoff, metadata integrity, and timely delivery of datasets that can be reused across the organization for multiple translational questions. Qualifications BS or MS in molecular biology, genetics, genomics, biochemistry, or a related field. Title and compensation will be commensurate with experience. Strong fit for this Principal level role typically includes 5 plus years of hands on NGS laboratory experience with demonstrated ownership of workflows end to end and a track record of troubleshooting and stabilizing production assays.

Requirements

BS or MS in molecular biology, genetics, genomics, biochemistry, or a related field.
Strong fit for this Principal level role typically includes 5 plus years of hands on NGS laboratory experience with demonstrated ownership of workflows end to end and a track record of troubleshooting and stabilizing production assays.
Strong hands-on experience running Illumina sequencing workflows end to end on platforms such as NextSeq, NovaSeq, or NovaSeq X, including library QC, pooling strategy, loading, run setup, run monitoring, and troubleshooting.
Demonstrated experience with clinical sample types, ideally including FFPE tissue and plasma, and the ability to make sound QC decisions under real world sample constraints.
Hands-on experience in at least two of the following areas, with willingness to support all three as needed.
FFPE RNA sequencing or gene expression profiling, including low input and degraded RNA handling.
Tumor DNA sequencing including WES or hybrid capture panels, ideally from FFPE
Plasma ctDNA workflows including cfDNA extraction and hybrid capture library preparation such as TSO500 ctDNA or equivalent assays.
Strong molecular biology fundamentals including nucleic acid extraction, PCR or qPCR-based quantification where applicable, and instrument-based QC using Tape Station or Bioanalyzer, Qubit, Nanodrop, Fragment Analyzer, or similar tools.
Experience with lab automation or semi automation for extraction and or library preparation using platforms such as Kingfisher, Beckman, Hamilton, Tecan, or equivalents.
Comfort interpreting run level QC metrics and coordinating effectively with bioinformatics partners for rapid issue triage and clean data delivery.
Strong documentation practices and experience operating in GLP, GCP, or CAP aligned environments are strongly preferred.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate clearly with cross functional partners and external collaborators.

Nice To Haves

Experience writing SOPs, training junior staff, and serving as a hands-on technical lead.
Experience with assay validation, method transfer, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Exposure to additional omics platforms such as single cell, spatial, methylation, or proteomics is a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

delivering clinical sequencing workflows from start to finish across FFPE tumor RNA sequencing and gene expression profiling, tumor DNA sequencing including WES, and plasma based ctDNA
owning day to day bench execution and the operational discipline needed to run these assays reliably at scale for clinical trials
receiving and processing clinical specimens with strong chain of custody
performing nucleic acid extractions, quantification, and QC
preparing libraries using clinically appropriate methods for FFPE and cfDNA
running Illumina sequencers with full ownership of run setup, indexing strategy, pooling, sample sheet accuracy, and run monitoring
making clear QC decisions using defined acceptance criteria
applying practical troubleshooting and rescue approaches for low input or degraded clinical material when appropriate
driving root cause investigations when performance drifts across batches or studies
maintaining rigorous documentation in LIMS and ELN
authoring and maintaining SOPs, batch records, checklists, and contribute to assay validation, periodic quality assessments, and continuous improvement
improving throughput and consistency through automation or semi automation of extraction and library preparation using platforms such as KingFisher, Beckman, Hamilton, Tecan, or equivalents
coordinating closely with Pathology on slide planning and tissue constraints, with Clinical Operations on sample tracking and timelines, and with bioinformatics and data science partners to ensure clean data handoff, metadata integrity, and timely delivery of datasets that can be reused across the organization for multiple translational questions

Benefits

401(k) Plan: 100% match on the first 6% of contributions
Health Benefits: Two medical plan options (including HDHP with HSA), dental, and vision insurance
Voluntary Plans: Critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance
Time Off: Paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, and 12 weeks of discretionary paid parental leave
Support Resources: Access to child and adult backup care, family support programs, financial wellness tools, and emotional well-being support
Additional Perks: Commuter benefits, tuition reimbursement, and a Lifestyle Spending Account for wellness and personal expenses

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