Molecular Biology Scientist – Vector & CAR-T Research

BioSpace; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 93,000 - 123,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan with company 1:

Job summary

Legend Biotech seeks a motivated Molecular Biology Scientist/Senior Associate Scientist to join the Vector Biology team in Philadelphia, supporting LVV design, construction, and functional evaluation, plus engineered cell line development for CAR-T programs.

The role emphasizes reliable execution, timely delivery of materials, and clear data communication within a fast-paced biotech setting in Philadelphia, PA.

Qualifications

• M.S. with 5+ years or Ph.D. with 0-2 years in a related field; hands-on molecular cloning and cell engineering required.
• Hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques (cloning, plasmid prep, sequence analysis).
• Experience with mammalian cell culture and transient transfection; familiarity with BSL-2 practices.
• Experience generating engineered cell lines (stable expression and/or CRISPR KO/KI).
• Exposure to viral vector workflows and titering/functional readouts.
• Experience with qPCR/dPCR, flow cytometry, ELISA, and Western blot.
• Strong ELN documentation, sample tracking, and following SOPs.
• Adaptable in a fast-paced environment; good communication and collaboration.
• CRISPR/Cas gene editing for KO/KI or multiplexed cell lines.
• Viral vector process development concepts and NGS or Nanopore sequencing familiarity.
• Tech transfer or CMC documentation experience (nice to have).

Responsibilities

• Design and construct viral vector plasmids to support gene overexpression, knockdown, and knockout studies.
• Perform molecular cloning workflows and ensure plasmid quality meets QC standards.
• Maintain plasmid records, sequences, maps, and inventory; support construct requests.
• Generate engineered mammalian cell lines for LVV production and cell line development.
• Conduct mammalian cell culture and transient transfection under BSL-2.
• Support small-scale vector production during early development.
• Perform assays (qPCR/dPCR, ELISA/Western blot, flow cytometry) to evaluate vector performance.
• Analyze data, summarize results, and communicate conclusions to project leads.
• Adhere to BSL-2 biosafety, maintain compliant notebooks, and documentation.
• Collaborate on tech transfer activities and plan day-to-day experiments.

Skills

Molecular cloning

Cell engineering

Mammalian cell culture

qPCR/dPCR

Flow cytometry

ELISA/Western blot

CRISPR KO/KI

Data analysis

ELN documentation

SOP adherence

Education

M.S. in related field

Ph.D. in related field

Tools

qPCR instruments

Flow cytometer

CRISPR tools

BSL-2 lab

Lentiviral vector tools

ELN software

Job description

Legend Biotech seeks a motivated Molecular Biology Scientist/Senior Associate Scientist to join the Vector Biology team in Philadelphia, supporting LVV design, construction, and functional evaluation, plus engineered cell line development for CAR-T programs.

The role emphasizes reliable execution, timely delivery of materials, and clear data communication within a fast-paced biotech setting in Philadelphia, PA.