Sr. Principal Scientist, Oncology Translational Research, Prostate

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine•Spring House, PA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

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. 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 About Oncology 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. Our Oncology team is focused on the elimination of cancer by discovering new pathways and modalities to finding treatments and cures. We lead where medicine is going and need innovators with an unwavering commitment to results. 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 seeking a highly motivated Principal or Senior Principal Scientist in Translational Research and Biomarker Strategy to lead biomarker and translational science efforts across clinical development programs in prostate cancer. This role will drive the design, implementation, and interpretation of biomarker strategies supporting early and late-stage clinical trials, including both registrational and exploratory studies. The successful candidate will work within a highly matrixed development environment to integrate translational science with clinical development, ensuring that biomarker data informs patient selection, pharmacodynamic assessment, and mechanisms of response and resistance. The candidate will partner closely with clinical development, biostatistics, diagnostics, regulatory, discovery research, and external academic collaborators to translate biological insights into actionable clinical strategies. This role will open the opportunity for the fitting candidate to gain experience in the novel first in class, pan-tumor potential, heterobifunctional small molecules called RIPTACs that induce tumor cell apoptosis distinct from PROTACs. This position requires deep scientific expertise, strong organizational and project leadership skills, and the ability to communicate complex scientific findings effectively to diverse audiences and influence across a team matrix. Details of the role include but are not limited to:

Requirements

PhD in biomedical sciences (e.g., immunology, computational biology, cancer biology, molecular biology, pathology, or related discipline)
Postdoctoral training in a relevant biomedical field
Minimum 3 years after postdoc of biopharmaceutical drug development experience
Experience designing and implementing biomarker strategies in clinical trials
Strong background in translational oncology and biomarker science
Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in matrixed cross-functional teams
Excellent scientific communication, writing, and presentation skills
Strong organizational and project management capabilities

Nice To Haves

Applied knowledge in data science: computational biology, statistics, report generation, basic and advanced visualization of data using R and/or python tools and related skills
Experience in prostate cancer biology and therapeutic development
Experience with PROTACs, RIPTACs and other novel cell modulating therapies
Expertise in immunology, tumor microenvironment biology, or precision oncology
Experience working with circulating biomarkers such as ctDNA or CTCs
Familiarity with tissue-based biomarkers, spatial biology, or digital pathology
Experience supporting registrational clinical trials

Responsibilities

Translational Research & Biomarker Strategy Lead development and execution of integrated translational research internal and external scientific endeavors and biomarker strategies for prostate cancer drug development programs.
Design biomarker plans aligned with therapeutic mechanism of action and clinical development objectives pharmacodynamic (PD), target engagement (TE), response and resistance
Guide selection and prioritization of biomarkers across multiple platforms including: Genomics and transcriptomics Circulating biomarkers (ctDNA, plasma proteins) Tissue-based molecular and spatial biomarkers Immunologic and tumor microenvironment profiling Digital pathology and computational biomarker approaches
Ensure biomarker strategies address key clinical questions including: Patient stratification and enrichment Pharmacodynamic biomarkers Target engagement Mechanisms of response and resistance
Design and project manage in vitro experiments to reveal novel combination strategies, response and resistance patterns with other pipeline assets.
Clinical Trial Integration Partner with clinical development teams to integrate biomarker hypotheses into clinical trial protocols, biomarker analysis plans, and statistical analysis frameworks.
Design biomarker sample collection and analysis strategies for Phase I–III clinical trials.
Ensure biomarker analyses support key decision points in development programs.
Collaborate with clinical operations and laboratory partners to ensure effective biomarker implementation.
Biomarker Governance & Execution Represent Translational Research in cross-functional governance discussions and program team meetings.
Coordinate biomarker activities across internal laboratories, CRO partners, and external collaborators.
Ensure biomarker assays are fit-for-purpose and analytically robust for clinical trial use.
Support documentation of biomarker strategies relevant to regulatory interactions and submissions.
External Research Collaborations Evaluate and prioritize external translational research proposals and collaborations aligned with program strategy.
Partner with academic investigators and technology providers to advance biomarker discovery and validation.
Identify emerging technologies and scientific approaches relevant to prostate cancer translational biology.
Data Integration & Interpretation Translate complex data into actionable insights that inform clinical development strategy.
Lead multidisciplinary interpretation of translational datasets integrating: Clinical outcomes Genomic and molecular data Pathology and tissue-based biomarkers Circulating biomarker data
Scientific Communication Prepare and present translational and biomarker findings to internal governance committees and cross-functional teams.
Represent the company at major scientific conferences (e.g., ASCO, AACR, ESMO). with key opinion leaders and cross functional team members.
Contribute to peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations and adhere to processes for best practices and oversight

Benefits

Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees and/or eligible dependents are eligible to participate in the following Company sponsored employee benefit programs: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, business accident insurance, and group legal insurance.
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)).
This position is eligible to participate in the Company’s long-term incentive program.
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 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
Condolence Leave – 30 days for an immediate family member: 5 days for an extended family member
Caregiver Leave – 10 days
Volunteer Leave – 4 days
Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours