Senior Scientist, Cell Therapy Genetic Regulation

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine • Spring House, PA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a motivated and high performing Senior Scientist to join the Cell and Genetic Medicines group within Therapeutics Discovery (TD) to support the development of CAR T cell therapy programs. In this role, you will be applying cutting-edge genetic regulation approaches to develop and implement gene modulation strategies that enhance the safety, efficacy, persistence, and functionality of CAR T cell therapy platforms. You will work directly with human T cells – including culture, activation, expansion, and genetic modification – to design, optimize, and deploy genetic regulation tools and screening workflows that support the discovery and advancement of next-generation cell therapy programs. The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise in genetic engineering with the ability to work independently in the lab and collaborate across cross-functional teams. This role is an exciting opportunity to join a diverse and ambitious discovery team and to work with innovative technology to create life-changing therapies for patients.

Requirements

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, Genetics or a related biological research discipline.
• Minimum 2 years of post-PhD experience (biopharmaceutical or biotech experience preferred).
• Strong knowledge in genetic regulation strategies and genetic modulation technologies.
• Demonstrated experience designing, screening, and validating genetic regulation tools in a cell therapy-relevant context.
• Ability to independently perform lab-based responsibilities with limited guidance.
• Strong collaborative skills and experience coordinating experiments and data exchange across teams.
• Self-motivated, highly organized, and able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced discovery environment.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience in molecular cloning, including the design, construction, and screening of pooled libraries for high-throughput assays.
• Experience with primary human T cell culture, expansion, and genetic engineering (viral transduction and/or non-viral gene editing).
• Experience in lentiviral vector design and optimization experience is preferred.
• Familiarity with flow cytometry, next-generation sequencing, and basic bioinformatics analyses.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of genetic regulation tools tailored for multiple cell therapy platforms.
• Design, execute, and optimize screening workflows to identify and validate gene modulation designs.
• Advance assay development and validation pipelines to ensure on-target activity, specificity, and functional effects in relevant cell therapy platforms.
• Collaborate closely with other team members and cross-functional teams to drive project milestones, produce shared data packages, and align experimental plans with program timelines.
• Stay current on the latest scientific and technological advancements in genetic regulation and cell therapy, incorporate new knowledge into ongoing projects, and propose new research directions.
• Analyze experimental data, prepare clear technical reports, and effectively communicate results to senior leadership, internal partners, and external partners as required.
• Maintain accurate and detailed experimental procedures, data, and results in an electronic laboratory notebook and ensure compliance with laboratory protocols and safety procedures.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree