Senior Lab Automation Scientist – Integrated Workcell Lead

Johnson & Johnson; Spring House (PA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson in Spring House, PA, is seeking a Senior Laboratory Automation Scientist to own automation readiness for integrated workcells in discovery and analytical workflows.

You will translate complex biological and biochemical workflows into executable automated sequences, lead design, integration, qualification, and lifecycle support, and ensure data provenance, user adoption, and robust method transfer across platforms.

Responsibilities

• Workcell Architecture and Scientific Design
• Designing and deploying integrated workcells combining liquid handlers, plate handling devices, washers, centrifuges, incubators, readers, storage systems, barcode readers, labelers, analytical instruments, and orchestration software.
• Defining method transfer strategy from manual to automated execution, including pipetting approach, tolerance assumptions, deck layout, consumable selection, reagent stability, timing constraints, controls, and acceptance criteria.
• Leading UAT design for nominal workflows, edge cases, sample exceptions, data handoffs, intervention paths, recovery cases, and user acceptance.
• Inter-Workcell Integration and Data Provenance
• Owning upstream and downstream handoff requirements for assigned workcells, including labware compatibility, sample format, timing constraints, temperature or sterility constraints, storage conditions, queue logic, and data handoff expectations.
• Defining sample, labware, consumable, reagent, waste, intermediate product, and run state requirements for assigned workcells.
• Partnering with IT, data science, AI, and laboratory informatics teams to define metadata, sample lineage, experimental provenance, data integrity checks, file transfer expectations, and model-ready outputs.
• Supporting integration control documentation between workflows, workcells, orchestration layers, ELN, LIMS, GDB, data platforms, analytical systems, and vendor software.
• Recovery, Governance, and Sustainment
• Designing recovery logic for failed runs, interrupted workflows, missing samples, failed transfers, sample rescue, plate quarantine, rerouting, pause/resume situations, and manual interventions.
• Leading troubleshooting and root cause analysis for complex issues spanning method performance, liquid handling, consumables, assay response, scheduling, sample tracking, metadata, data capture, and user behavior.
• Supporting vendor selection, Tier 1 and Tier 2 coordination, FAT, SAT, UAT, risk assessments, readiness reviews, hypercare planning, training, and lifecycle support.
• Driving continuous improvement based on run metrics, failure mode analysis

Job description

Johnson & Johnson in Spring House, PA, is seeking a Senior Laboratory Automation Scientist to own automation readiness for integrated workcells in discovery and analytical workflows.

You will translate complex biological and biochemical workflows into executable automated sequences, lead design, integration, qualification, and lifecycle support, and ensure data provenance, user adoption, and robust method transfer across platforms.