Principal Scientist, Spatial Omics

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:

Biological Research

Job Category:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America, 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 a Principal Scientist, Spatial Omics located in Cambridge, MA or Spring House, PA.

Purpose:
The ideal candidate will lead the development, validation, and deployment of cutting‑edge spatial and molecular profiling capabilities to advance therapeutic discovery across neuroscience, oncology, and immunology, with deep expertise in at least one of these areas strongly preferred. This principal scientific role is both strategic and hands‑on, responsible for designing, optimizing, and validating molecular and spatial assays to ensure robustness, reproducibility, and biological interpretability.

The principal scientist will drive end‑to‑end workflows spanning tissue processing, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, microscopy, and slide‑based imaging. They will lead the development of novel molecular assays, establish and optimize lab infrastructure, and guide technical execution across multiple platforms. Additional responsibilities include building data generation pipelines, troubleshooting complex experiments, and managing CROs and external technology partners to accelerate capability development. The role will also provide opportunities for validating observations in relevant in vitro and ex vivo model systems.

Ideal candidates bring deep experience in spatial genomics, particularly in a disease context, along with strong experimental design skills and the ability to rapidly deploy assays across cell and tissue samples. Preferred experience also includes basic computational literacy for mapping data flows, as well as familiarity with massively parallel reporter assays, library design, or cell engineering.

You will be responsible for:

• Leading the development, optimization, and validation of spatial genomics and molecular profiling assays to support neuroscience, oncology, and immunology programs.
• Designing and executing experimental workflows involving tissue processing, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, microscopy, high‑resolution slide imaging and sequencing. Experience with Bruker CosMx and 10x Genomics Visium is highly preferred and will be required for this role.
• Establishing and refining new molecular assays, including troubleshooting, workflow development, and technical feasibility assessments.
• Building and scaling laboratory infrastructure, including lab setup, instrumentation planning, and operational readiness.
• Managing CROs and external partners, ensuring high‑quality data generation, timeline alignment, and technical deliverables.
• Collaborating closely with therapeutic area teams to translate multiomics and spatial readouts into actionable biological insights.
• Contributing to data workflows by supporting early-stage data mapping, QC frameworks, and analytical handoffs to computational teams.

Qualifications

• Education:
  • Minimum of a PhD in Genetics, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Pathology, Systems biology, Human biology or a related discipline is required.
  • Post-doctoral fellowship in a related field is required. Alternatively, industry experience with a proven track-record of delivering completed complex projects will be considered.

Required:

• A minimum of 6 years of biotech or pharmaceutical industry experience is required. Academic staff scientist experience in deeply technical, matrixed, project facing roles will be considered.
• Strong track record of high-impact scientific deliverables as evidenced by publications, presentations, and recognition within the scientific community.
• Deep, technical spatial omics expertise is required, including understanding of end-to-end workflows, methods limitations, and mitigation strategies.
• Excellent written communication, verbal communication, and oral presentation skills are required.
• Experience with Multiomic Datasets is required.
• Demonstrated ability to work across disciplines and functional areas is required.
• Ability to apply novel approaches to address complex biology questions, as evidenced through strong peer-reviewed publications is required

Preferred:

• Proficiency in programming languages such as R or Python is preferred.
• In vitro cell culture and genomics library design experience is preferred.
• Experience as a problem solver, and team collaborator able to facilitate understanding between biologists and data scientists is preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines is preferred.
• Experience working with and/or guiding external collaborators in industry or academia is preferred

The expected pay range for this position is $117,000 to $201,250.

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.

• Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees and/or eligible dependents are 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.
• Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k)).
• This position is eligible to participate in the Company’s long-term incentive program. Subject to the terms of their respective policies and date of hire, employees are eligible for the following time off benefits:
  • Vacation –120 hours per calendar year
  • Sick time - 40 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Colorado –48 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Washington –56 hours per calendar year
  • Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays –13 days per calendar year
  • Work, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 hours per calendar year
  • Parental Leave – 480 hours within one year of the birth/adoption/foster care of a child
  • Bereavement Leave – 240 hours for an immediate family member: 40 hours for an extended family member per calendar year
  • Caregiver Leave – 80 hours in a 52-week rolling period10 days
  • Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year
  • Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year

For additional general information on company benefits, please go to: https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits

This job posting is anticipated to close on March 7, 2026. The Company may however extend this time-period, in which case the posting will remain available on https://www.careers.jnj.com to accept additional applications.

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. 

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, please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers or contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

Big Data Management, Critical Thinking, Data Reporting, Data Savvy, Drug Discovery Development, Molecular Diagnostics, Organizing, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Problem Solving, Product Knowledge, Project Reporting, Project Schedule, Research Proposals, Scientific Research, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Standard Scientific Processes and Procedures, Strategic Thinking, Sustainability