Scientist, Laboratory Automation Full-time

Scientist, Laboratory Automation

The Biotherapeutics Development & Supply (BTDS) organization is responsible for the development, clinical supply, marketed product support, and life cycle management of Biotherapeutics. Within BTDS, the Analytical Development (AD) group supports method development and validation, as well as product development, release, and stability analytics via automated workflows.

The Laboratory Automation & Robotics team is recruiting for a Scientist, Laboratory Automation to collaborate in migrating analytical assays from manual processes to end-to-end fully automated workflows. In this role you will collaborate with Method Development, Assay Automation, Integrations, Orchestration, Information Technology, Data Science, and Operations to increase sample testing volume while reducing time-to-result, hands-on time, repetitive strain, and assay variability. The primary scientific areas of focus will be therapeutic antibodies and cell and gene therapies – automating analytical workflows such as antigen binding, cell-based bioassays, chromatography, flow cytometry, mass spectrometry, and molecular biology.

You will be responsible for:

• Collaborating within a cross-functional team to design, develop, and deploy end-to-end laboratory automation.
• Creating, optimizing, maintaining, and continuously improving high-throughput workflows using liquid-handling robots and integrated automation workcells.
• Expanding the scope of existing automation by introducing new functionalities.
• Evaluating novel devices/instruments/technologies for the enhancement of laboratory processes.
• Troubleshooting laboratory automation by liaising with internal subject matter experts and external vendors to perform root cause analysis based on detailed scientific and technical investigations.
• Sharing knowledge and documenting best practices within the automation team, and supporting and training end-users to independently complete automated workflows.
• Partnering with Information Technology and Data Science teams to automate data flows to ensure data integrity through capture in appropriate electronic systems and high-throughput processing via review by exception.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• A minimum of a B.S. in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or a related field is required. An advanced degree is preferred.

Required:

• A minimum of 3 years of laboratory automation experience.
• Experience operating, maintaining, developing, and optimizing in one or both of the following domains: (1) Liquid-handling robots from Hamilton, Tecan, Beckman Coulter, Dynamic Devices, Agilent, PerkinElmer, etc. and/or (2) Integrated automation workcells using scheduling software such as Biosero Green Button Go, HighRes Biosolutions Cellario, or Thermo Scientific Momentum.
• Experience implementing automated laboratory workflows within the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries.
• Experience migrating biological or biochemical assays/methods onto automated systems.
• Ability to gather, understand, and assign priorities to user requirements for complicated laboratory workflows, and to translate them into robust automated solutions.
• Strong organizational, time management, and interpersonal skills (both written and oral), and a commitment in close collaboration with scientists, vendors, and end users across seniority levels.

Preferred:

• Experience working in a regulated environment (e.g. CLIA, GLP, GMP, GxP).
• Experience with programming languages such as C#, Python, and Visual Basic.
• Experience with analytical assay/method development.
• Experience with automated sample management systems from Azenta, Askion, and/or Hamilton.
• Experience with instrument API calls.
• Experience with 3D printing and rapid prototyping.

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 & 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, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers, internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.