Postdoctoral Scientist – Multimodal Representation Learning for Predictive Biology

Biopharma Careers; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 92,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is seeking a Postdoctoral Scientist in Multimodal Representation Learning for Predictive Biology to advance AI/ML analytics for drug discovery. The role focuses on integrating high-content imaging, omics, and phenomics to model perturbed cellular systems.

The successful candidate will build and benchmark AI methods, publish findings, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across Cambridge, MA and other sites.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. completed within the last 3 years or to be completed soon.
• Strong AI/ML expertise with publications in top venues.
• Experience with biological data (Cell Painting, omics) and modeling.

Responsibilities

• Conceive, design, develop, implement and validate innovative AI/ML solutions for drug discovery problems using multimodal data of perturbed cells.
• Analyze and extract novel biological insights from large-scale, heterogeneous high-dimensional data.
• Develop and evaluate computer vision solutions to quantify heterogeneity of perturbed cells.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to advance algorithms and product development.
• Communicate complex methodologies and findings to diverse audiences.
• Maintain documentation and code repositories.
• Draft manuscripts and disseminate research findings.

Skills

Representation learning

Multimodal integration

Computational biology

Imaging microscopy

Foundation models

Multimodal modeling

Transformers

CNNs

Graph networks

Self-supervised learning

Multi-instance learning

Communication

Education

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or related major

Tools

Python

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

Job Function:

Career Programs

Job Sub Function:

Post Doc – Data Analytics & Computational Sciences

Job Category:

Career Program

All Job Posting Locations:

Beerse, Antwerp, Belgium, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America, Madrid, Spain, Spring House, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Job Description:

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

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is recruiting for a Postdoctoral Scientist – Multimodal Representation Learning for Predictive Biology to join the Data, Data Science & Artificial Intelligence (DDSAI) organization for a two-year fixed term position, helping advance AI/ML analytics and multimodal modeling for drug discovery.

This position will be based at any of the following locations: Cambridge, MA (preferred); Spring House, PA; Beerse, Belgium; or Madrid, Spain. (No fully remote option.)

Please note that this role is available across multiple countries and may be posted under different requisition numbers to comply with local requirements. While you are welcome to apply to any or all of the postings, we recommend focusing on the specific country(s) that align with your preferred location(s):

• USA - Requisition Number: R-094412
• Belgium - Requisition Number: R-095646
• Spain - Requisition Number: R-095648

Within DDSAI, our teams develop innovative solutions using a variety of data sources across multiple therapeutic areas. We are looking for a highly motivated and innovative Postdoctoral Scientist to work at the intersection of advanced AI/ML modeling at scale, multimodal representation learning, drug discovery and predictive biology.

The successful candidate is self-motivated, creative, and an effective communicator, with a strong interest in deep learning for imaging microscopy and multi-omics.

The role focuses on developing advanced models that analyze and quantify the heterogeneity of perturbed cellular systems and integrate multi-scale biological data (e.g., high-content imaging, phenomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics) to derive new biological insights that support the next-generation portfolio for drug discovery.

A successful candidate should demonstrate a strong capacity to build, evaluate, and benchmark AI/ML methods, and publish findings in top-tier peer-reviewed publications.

Key Responsibilities

• Conceive, design, develop, implement and validate innovative AI/ML solutions for drug discovery problems using multimodal data of perturbed cells.
• Analyze and extract novel biological insights from large-scale, heterogeneous high-dimensional data (e.g., imaging microscopy, phenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics).
• Develop and evaluate innovative computer vision solutions to quantify heterogeneity of perturbed cells.
• Collaborate closely with both internal and external cross-functional teams of scientists and engineers to advance algorithms and product development to improve project outcomes.
• Clearly communicate complex technical methodologies and present findings to diverse audiences and stakeholders to support informed decision-making.
• Follow standard processes for documentation and maintaining an up-to-date code repository.
• Draft manuscripts and disseminate research findings internally and externally (e.g., publishing in peer-reviewed conferences/journals).

Qualifications

• Ph.D.* in Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related major. (*PhD completed within the last 3 years or to be completed within the next 6 months.)
• Strong technical expertise in AI/ML for biological applications, with excellent analytical skills in at least one domain area (representation learning, multimodal integration, computational biology, imaging microscopy) and a proven track record (publications in top-tier AI/ML conferences or journals).
• Experience developing foundation models and/or multimodal modeling of biological data in related applications, such as Cell Painting, imaging microscopy, and multi-omics.
• Solid working knowledge of deep-learning architectures and techniques (e.g., Transformers, CNNs, graph networks, self-supervised and multi-instance learning, etc.) and their application to multimodal representation learning, alignment, and fusion.
• Proficiency with one or more programming languages, preferably Python, and proficiency in one or more AI frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present analytical results on behalf of the project team in a multi-functional setting, contextualizing how the work fits within the broader project.
• This position will be based at any of the following locations: Cambridge, MA (preferred); Spring House, PA; Beerse, Belgium; or Madrid, Spain. (No fully remote option.)
• 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.
• If you are under 18 years of age, you (the candidate) may need to obtain the necessary working papers or other documentation required by state law to start the assignment, as well as get a parent’s consent for the background check.
• 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.
• The anticipated base pay range for this position is $92,000 to $111,000. The Company maintains highly competitive, performance-based compensation programs. Under current guidelines, this position is eligible for an annual performance bonus in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan. The annual performance bonus is a cash bonus intended to provide an incentive to achieve annual targeted results by rewarding for individual and the corporation’s performance over a calendar/performance year. Bonuses are awarded at the Company’s discretion on an individual basis. Employees and/or eligible dependents may be 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.
• Employees may be eligible to participate in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k)).

Employees are eligible for the following time off benefits:

• Vacation – up to 120 hours per calendar year
• Sick time - up to 40 hours per calendar year
• Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays – up to 13 days per calendar year of Work, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 hours per calendar year

Additional information can be found through the link below. https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits

The compensation and benefits information set forth in this posting applies to candidates hired in the United States. Candidates hired outside the United States will be eligible for compensation and benefits in accordance with their local market.