Principal Scientist, Spatial Omics

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine•Cambridge, MA

18h•Hybrid

About The Position

The ideal candidate will lead the development, validation, and deployment of cutting‑edge spatial and molecular profiling capabilities to advance therapeutic discovery across neuroscience, oncology, and immunology, with deep expertise in at least one of these areas strongly preferred. This principal scientific role is both strategic and hands‑on, responsible for designing, optimizing, and validating molecular and spatial assays to ensure robustness, reproducibility, and biological interpretability. The principal scientist will drive end‑to‑end workflows spanning tissue processing, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, microscopy, and slide‑based imaging. They will lead the development of novel molecular assays, establish and optimize lab infrastructure, and guide technical execution across multiple platforms. Additional responsibilities include building data generation pipelines, troubleshooting complex experiments, and managing CROs and external technology partners to accelerate capability development. The role will also provide opportunities for validating observations in relevant in vitro and ex vivo model systems. Ideal candidates bring deep experience in spatial genomics, particularly in a disease context, along with strong experimental design skills and the ability to rapidly deploy assays across cell and tissue samples. Preferred experience also includes basic computational literacy for mapping data flows, as well as familiarity with massively parallel reporter assays, library design, or cell engineering.

Requirements

Minimum of a PhD in Genetics, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Pathology, Systems biology, Human biology or a related discipline is required.
Post-doctoral fellowship in a related field is required.
A minimum of 6 years of biotech or pharmaceutical industry experience is required.
Strong track record of high-impact scientific deliverables as evidenced by publications, presentations, and recognition within the scientific community.
Deep, technical spatial omics expertise is required, including understanding of end-to-end workflows, methods limitations, and mitigation strategies.
Excellent written communication, verbal communication, and oral presentation skills are required.
Experience with Multiomic Datasets is required.
Demonstrated ability to work across disciplines and functional areas is required.
Ability to apply novel approaches to address complex biology questions, as evidenced through strong peer-reviewed publications is required.

Nice To Haves

Industry experience with a proven track-record of delivering completed complex projects will be considered.
Academic staff scientist experience in deeply technical, matrixed, project facing roles will be considered.
Experience with Bruker CosMx and 10x Genomics Visium is highly preferred and will be required for this role.
Proficiency in programming languages such as R or Python is preferred.
In vitro cell culture and genomics library design experience is preferred.
Experience as a problem solver, and team collaborator able to facilitate understanding between biologists and data scientists is preferred.
Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines is preferred.
Experience working with and/or guiding external collaborators in industry or academia is preferred.

Responsibilities

Leading the development, optimization, and validation of spatial genomics and molecular profiling assays to support neuroscience, oncology, and immunology programs.
Designing and executing experimental workflows involving tissue processing, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, microscopy, high‑resolution slide imaging and sequencing.
Establishing and refining new molecular assays, including troubleshooting, workflow development, and technical feasibility assessments.
Building and scaling laboratory infrastructure, including lab setup, instrumentation planning, and operational readiness.
Managing CROs and external partners, ensuring high‑quality data generation, timeline alignment, and technical deliverables.
Collaborating closely with therapeutic area teams to translate multiomics and spatial readouts into actionable biological insights.
Contributing to data workflows by supporting early-stage data mapping, QC frameworks, and analytical handoffs to computational teams.

Benefits

medical
dental
vision
life insurance
short and long-term disability
business accident insurance
group legal insurance
consolidated retirement plan (pension)
savings plan (401(k))
long-term incentive program
Vacation –120 hours per calendar year
Sick time - 40 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 period
Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year
Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year