Senior Scientist - Biophysics & Lab Automation

Johnson & Johnson Co.; Spring House (PA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is seeking a Principal Scientist, Biophysics & Laboratory Automation to join Cell Engineering and Analytical Sciences (CEAS). You will lead biophysics automation to connect experiments, instruments, data, and analytics, enabling faster decision-making and scalable biology workflows.

You will mentor colleagues, collaborate across Mass Spec, CLD, and Process Development, and drive data digitalization to support a self-driving lab vision in therapeutic protein

Qualifications

• PhD in Biophysics/biochemistry/analytical chemistry or related field with 4+ years in biopharmaceutical industry.
• Deep expertise in protein therapeutics characterization and biophysical/separation methods, including CE-SDS, cIEF, SEC-based separations, chromatography, or related techniques.
• Ability to independently prepare samples, execute and troubleshoot analytical methods, assess data quality, and interpret results.
• Strong understanding of protein quality attributes, including aggregation, fragmentation, charge heterogeneity, and stability, and their implications for molecule and cell line development.
• Ability to design complex experiments, interpret multidimensional datasets, and translate findings into actionable scientific recommendations.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and scientific leadership skills, including presenting results and recommendations within the team and at cross-departmental meetings, tailoring technical detail to the audience.
• Demonstrated technical problem-solving aptitude and motivation to take ownership of BP automation and data digitalization in partnership with established automation and data science teams.
• Willingness and ability to occasionally work outside regular hours to troubleshoot and support ongoing automated experiments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of automated workflows for biophysical and protein characterization assays.
• Drawing on deep BP expertise and working with the existing automation and data science teams, build connected workflows that make BP characterization faster, more reproducible, and easier for scientists to use.
• Build practical automated workflows: connect sample preparation, instruments, software, and data processing, leveraging scientific programming and agentic AI to develop solutions.
• Lead the design, development, and implementation of automated workflows for biophysical and protein characterization assays.
• Automate established platforms such as CE-SDS, cIEF, SEC-UV, and related separation and biophysical methods while expanding automation to new characterization technologies.
• Drive data digitalization: connect experimental execution with automated data capture, processing, analysis, visualization, and reporting, and help establish the infrastructure and ways of working for increasingly autonomous experimentation and scientific decision support.
• Execute biophysical characterization from design through interpretation: design experiments, prepare samples, execute and troubleshoot methods—including CE-SDS, cIEF, and SEC-UV—and evaluate data quality and interpret results.
• Support cell line and molecule development: characterize product quality, molecular heterogeneity, aggregation, fragmentation, and charge variants to inform selection and identify development and manufacturing risks.
• Adapt techniques to complex modalities such as bi and tri-specific antibodies.
• Turn characterization data into scientific recommendations: integrate BP results with other CLD information and apply advanced analytics, including machine learning and AI-enabled approaches, to identify trends, anomalies, and molecule-specific risks.
• Make BP workflows easier for scientists: simplify routine work, improve usability, and support increasing sample volumes and molecular complexity without proportional increases in manual effort.
• Advance characterization capabilities: evaluate emerging analytical, automation, and digital technologies that address scientific needs and partner with digital, data science, and automation teams to advance the shared self-driving lab vision.
• Provide scientific leadership: mentor colleagues in biophysical characterization and increasingly automated, data-driven workflows; contribute to cross-disciplinary and external collaborations, presentations, publications, and intellectual property.

Skills

Biophysics expertise

Protein characterization

Automation leadership

Data analysis

Programming (Python)

Education

Ph.D. in Biophysics or related

Tools

CE-SDS

cIEF

SEC-UV

Chromatography

Laboratory automation

Job description

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is seeking a Principal Scientist, Biophysics & Laboratory Automation to join Cell Engineering and Analytical Sciences (CEAS). You will lead biophysics automation to connect experiments, instruments, data, and analytics, enabling faster decision-making and scalable biology workflows.

You will mentor colleagues, collaborate across Mass Spec, CLD, and Process Development, and drive data digitalization to support a self-driving lab vision in therapeutic protein