Associate Laboratory Automation Scientist

Johnson & Johnson; Spring House (PA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson in Spring House, PA seeks an Associate Laboratory Automation Scientist to support automated discovery workflows and assay execution. You will prepare samples, labware, reagents, run logs, and enable reliable instrument operations, with emphasis on data handoff and traceability.

Collaborating with Automation and Robotics Engineer, you will contribute to equipment readiness, safety, and documentation while optimizing workflows and supporting continuous improvement in the lab.

Responsibilities

• Design and Deploy: Supporting configuration, testing, and routine execution of liquid handlers, plate readers, plate sealers and peelers, washers, centrifuges, incubators, storage systems, barcode readers, labelers, and workcell peripherals.
• Assisting with automated methods for protein discovery, analytical, molecular, NGS, screening, cell-based, biochemical, and biophysical workflows.
• Supporting setup of samples, reagents, labware, consumables, waste containers, barcode labels, storage locations, and run documentation before scheduled automation runs.
• Participating in user acceptance tests, workflow demonstrations, and handover activities by completing defined scientific run steps and capturing observations.
• Performing first-line troubleshooting of barcode failures, consumable depletion, liquid handling exceptions, plate handling errors, instrument alarms, missing data files, failed transfers, and interrupted workflows.
• Documenting exception events, manual interventions, sample rescue steps, plate quarantine actions, run status changes, and user observations accurately.
• Escalating assay, method, instrument, data, sample identity, or consumable issues through defined pathways.
• Supporting basic run readiness and post-run checks, including sample location confirmation, output file presence, instrument status, waste state, and consumable reconciliation.
• Supporting capture of sample identity, labware identity, reagent identity, method version, run context, instrument output, file transfer status, and user comments needed for downstream analysis.
• Following procedures for barcode scanning, label printing, ELN or LIMS entries, run log maintenance, and file transfer checks where applicable.
• Applying biosafety, contamination control, waste handling, laboratory safety, and data integrity expectations during automated workflow execution.
• Building practical understanding of upstream and downstream workcell dependencies so outputs from one platform are prepared correctly for the next.
• Support technology evaluations, proof-of-concept studies, workflow readiness assessments, user demonstrations, and vendor evaluations for future automation capabilities.
• Contribute to laboratory automation standards, workflow templates, data handoff expectations, training materials, and playbook

Job description

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.

Job Function:

R&D Product Development

Job Sub Function:

R&D Electrical/Mechatronic Engineering

Job Category:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

Spring House, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Job Description:

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

We are searching for the best talent for an Associate Laboratory Automation Scientist to be located in Spring House, PA.

Purpose: The Associate Laboratory Automation Scientist supports the scientific execution layer of automated discovery workflows. The role helps prepare samples, labware, reagents, consumables, worklists, run logs, and files so automated systems can complete assay and analytical methods reliably.

The Associate Scientist will support deployment, operation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of laboratory automation systems used in therapeutic discovery and analytical workflows, with emphasis on scientific workflow execution, sample traceability, consumable readiness, metadata capture, documentation rigor, and first-line run recovery under guidance.

This role is complementary to the Automation and Robotics Engineer. While the scientist focuses on assay context, sample identity, method execution, and data handoff; the engineer focuses on the physical transfer, equipment readiness, basic machine behavior, and safety access.

You will be responsible for:

• Design and Deploy
  Supporting configuration, testing, and routine execution of liquid handlers, plate readers, plate sealers and peelers, washers, centrifuges, incubators, storage systems, barcode readers, labelers, and workcell peripherals.
• Assisting with automated methods for protein discovery, analytical, molecular, NGS, screening, cell-based, biochemical, and biophysical workflows.
• Supporting setup of samples, reagents, labware, consumables, waste containers, barcode labels, storage locations, and run documentation before scheduled automation runs.
• Participating in user acceptance tests, workflow demonstrations, and handover activities by completing defined scientific run steps and capturing observations.

Operate, Monitor, and Recover

• Performing first-line troubleshooting of barcode failures, consumable depletion, liquid handling exceptions, plate handling errors, instrument alarms, missing data files, failed transfers, and interrupted workflows.
• Documenting exception events, manual interventions, sample rescue steps, plate quarantine actions, run status changes, and user observations accurately.
• Escalating assay, method, instrument, data, sample identity, or consumable issues through defined pathways.
• Supporting basic run readiness and post-run checks, including sample location confirmation, output file presence, instrument status, waste state, and consumable reconciliation.

Data, Traceability, and Safety

• Supporting capture of sample identity, labware identity, reagent identity, method version, run context, instrument output, file transfer status, and user comments needed for downstream analysis.
• Following procedures for barcode scanning, label printing, ELN or LIMS entries, run log maintenance, and file transfer checks where applicable.
• Applying biosafety, contamination control, waste handling, laboratory safety, and data integrity expectations during automated workflow execution.
• Building practical understanding of upstream and downstream workcell dependencies so outputs from one platform are prepared correctly for the next.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support technology evaluations, proof-of-concept studies, workflow readiness assessments, user demonstrations, and vendor evaluations for future automation capabilities.
• Contribute to laboratory automation standards, workflow templates, data handoff expectations, training materials, and playbook