Principal Scientist, Vector Biology

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America

Base pay: $117,000–$201,250 per year

Company

Johnson & Johnson MedTech develops healthcare and medical solutions through Innovative Medicine and MedTech.

What you will do

• Lead research into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of enveloped virus entry.
• Design experiments to characterize interactions between viral glycoproteins and host-cell receptors.
• Develop and validate cell-based assays for receptor expression and localization, ligand or virus binding, internalization, and endocytosis.
• Use flow cytometry, high-content or fluorescence microscopy, and reporter assays for functional readouts.
• Apply lentiviral vector systems to study target-cell transduction and develop gene-delivery platforms.
• Establish scalable workflows, SOPs, assay performance criteria, and QC while partnering with engineering, analytics, translational, and process/CMC teams.

Requirements

• PhD in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Virology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• 3–6 years of relevant industry experience leading scientific projects and/or teams.
• Hands-on expertise in mammalian cell culture and cell-line engineering.
• Experience developing quantitative cell-based assays for membrane proteins or receptors, including flow cytometry, internalization assays, or high-content imaging.
• Knowledge of viral-entry biology and direct experience with lentiviral vectors, transduction workflows, and assay optimization.
• Strong data analysis and scientific communication skills, with the ability to support decisions using clear, reproducible results.

Nice to have

• Experience with pseudovirus or live-virus entry and neutralization assays under BSL2 or BSL2+ conditions.
• High-throughput or automated assay development, liquid handling, or screening experience.
• Publications or patents in receptor biology, viral entry, or vector technologies.

Culture & Benefits

• Inclusive work environment focused on healthcare innovation and patient impact.
• Retirement pension and 401(k) savings plans, subject to plan terms.
• Vacation, sick time, holiday pay, parental leave, caregiver leave, bereavement leave, and personal and family time.
• Volunteer leave and military spouse time-off benefits.