Principal Scientist, Protein Purification, Team Lead

Johnson Johnson; Spring House (PA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson Biologics Discovery in Spring House, PA seeks a Principal Scientist, Protein Purification, Team Lead to guide a team delivering purified antibodies, multispecifics, and other proteins for preclinical studies.

You will set purification strategy, advance automation and data workflows, and partner across discovery and development to align strategy with program goals while building an inclusive, high-performance culture.

Qualifications

• PhD in biochemistry, biochemical engineering, chemical engineering, protein science, or related field + 5+ years in biologics or drug discovery.
• Demonstrated experience leading scientists and building inclusive, high-accountability teams.
• Drug-discovery orientation; ability to guide molecule/lead-candidate decisions with data.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a protein purification team; coach scientists and set clear expectations.
• Drive lead-selection decisions with multidisciplinary teams.
• Set purification strategy for antibodies, multispecifics, and recombinant proteins; enable scalable handoff to development partners.
• Apply judgment using chromatography, FPLC, HPLC, protein quality and analytical methods.
• Improve automation, data workflows, and reproducibility across the team.
• Deliver outcomes through strong partnerships across discovery and development.

Skills

Protein purification expertise

People leadership

Data-driven decisions

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

PhD in Biochemistry or related field

Tools

FPLC

HPLC

Analytical methods

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:

Discovery & Pre-Clinical/Clinical Development

Job Sub Function:

Biotherapeutics R&D

Job Category:

People Leader

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 Principal Scientist, Protein Purification, Team Lead in Spring House, PA.

Purpose: At Johnson & Johnson Biologics Discovery, we work in a fast-paced R&D environment applying rigorous scientific principles towards advancing groundbreaking protein therapeutics. In support of this mission, you will lead a team of scientists who deliver purified antibodies, multispecifics, and other therapeutic proteins for characterization and in vivo studies. Your group will combine purification science, process development, automation, and protein biochemistry to generate preclinical candidates and drive decision-ready data.

As a partner across Discovery and Development, you will connect biological activity, manufacturability, and program strategy. You will set direction, build an inclusive and accountable culture, and guide technical decisions that advance the strongest leads. You will lead and develop a protein purification team at the center of biologics discovery. We are seeking an exceptional scientific ideator and empathetic people leader who can identify bold, practical solutions to discovery challenges, turn large and complex datasets into insight, and apply strong protein biochemistry expertise to advance therapeutic leads.

You will be responsible for:

• Build and develop the team. Coach scientists, set clear expectations, provide useful feedback, and create an environment where people can grow, raise risks, and ideate.
• Drive lead-selection decisions. Partner with multidisciplinary project teams to define molecule-quality strategies, interpret integrated data, manage trade-offs, and advance therapeutic leads.
• Set purification strategy. Guide fit-for-purpose purification and process development for antibodies, multispecifics, and other recombinant proteins, including scalable handoff to development partners.
• Apply technical judgment. Use deep knowledge of chromatography, FPLC, HPLC, protein quality, and analytical methods to balance purity, recovery, speed, scalability, and downstream needs.
• Improve how the work is done. Advance automation, digital tools, and data workflows that strengthen throughput, reproducibility, and scientist experience.
• Deliver through partnership. Align priorities and communicate progress, decisions, and risks across expression, protein engineering, biophysics, pharmacology, and process development.

Qualifications/Requirements:

Required:

• PhD in biochemistry, biochemical engineering, chemical engineering, protein science, or a related discipline, plus 5+ years of pharmaceutical or biotechnology experience in biologics or drug discovery.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing scientists and creating an inclusive, collaborative, high-accountability team.
• A drug-discovery orientation, including sound judgment under uncertainty and experience using data to guide molecule or lead-candidate decisions.
• Deep expertise in purification and characterization of proteins, antibodies, or other biologics, with hands-on experience in chromatography, FPLC, HPLC, and relevant analytical methods.
• Experience originating or optimizing purification processes and transferring scalable approaches to development partners.
• Ability to influence across functions, communicate complex science clearly, and make timely decisions while inviting diverse perspectives.

Preferred:

• Bispecific or multispecific antibodies, novel protein therapeutics, complex molecular formats, or antibody mechanisms of action.
• Discove