Postdoctoral Fellow – Cell Therapy, Genomic Safety

Description

Johnson & Johnson is currently seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow – Cell Therapy, Genomic Safety Discovery to join our Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine (J&J IM) Team located in Spring House, PA.

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 https://www.jnj.com/ .

For more than 130 years, diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) has been a part of our cultural fabric at Johnson & Johnson and woven into how we do business every day. Rooted in Our Credo, the values of DEI fuel our pursuit to create a healthier, more equitable world. Our diverse workforce and culture of belonging accelerate innovation to solve the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges.

We know that the success of our business – and our ability to deliver meaningful solutions – depends on how well we understand and meet the diverse needs of the communities we serve. Which is why we foster a culture of inclusion and belonging where all perspectives, abilities and experiences are valued and our people can reach their potential.

At Johnson & Johnson, we all belong.

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine (J&J IM) develops treatments that improve the health of people worldwide. Research and development areas encompass oncology, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, immunology, pulmonary hypertension, neuroscience, and infectious disease. Our goal is to help people live longer, healthier lives. We have produced and marketed many first-in-class prescription medications and are poised to serve the broad needs of the healthcare market – from patients to practitioners and from clinics to hospitals. To learn more about J&J Innovative Medicine, visit https:// https://www.jnj.com/innovative-medicine .

The J&J IM Discovery, Product Development, & Supply (DPDS) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program helps early career scientists gain the training and experience needed to further their careers while addressing the needs of global healthcare. Postdocs work side-by-side with DPDS scientists on innovative research projects and have the opportunity to present and publish their work. They also learn the functional role of scientists in the pharmaceutical industry and receive valuable career advice from mentors while building a network of professional contacts and developing the skills needed to advance their careers.

The Preclinical Sciences & Translational safety (PSTS) group in collaboration with Cell Therapy group in Therapeutics Discovery (TD) seeks a motivated post-doctoral candidate to develop a novel assay to assess Genomic Safety of nuclease mediated gene editing. The post-doctoral candidate will work in close collaboration with PSTS, TD, and protein engineering group to develop a novel technique to measure off-target effects of genome editing tool in the induced pluripotent stem cells. The qualified candidate is expected to have basic knowledge of cell culture, extensive knowledge of molecular biology techniques, and protein engineering. Join our team in bringing innovative and safe drug products for the patients in need.

The anticipated start date for this role is October 14th, 2024.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with various functions within Johnson & Johnson such as Cell Therapy, protein engineering, and genetic safety.
• Culturing and maintaining induced pluripotent stem cells.
• Perform cloning, expressions, purification of proteins and assess functional characteristics.
• Use molecular biology techniques such as DNA/RNA isolation and next generation sequencing to assess the function of proteins.
• Partner with bioinformatics team to perform analysis and interpretation of the results.
• Adhere to good laboratory practices.

Qualifications

Education:

• PhD in Molecular Pharmacology or Molecular Biology or Molecular Genetic or a related discipline; exceptional candidates with alternative experience will be considered.
• Degree must be completed in the last 3 years, or by October 2024 for current students

Required:

• Strong expertise designing, testing, and optimizing CRISPR/Cas knock-in/ knockout gene delivery systems.
• Hands on experience in cloning and expression vectors.
• Molecular and cell biology expertise with the ability to apply skills, theoretical knowledge, and experience to drive successful research projects.
• Outstanding capacity to learn quickly and rigorously draw accurate conclusions from data.
• Self-motivated, with the ability to multitask, independently advance research programs and to collaborate well in a multi-disciplinary environment.
• Excellent communication skills (both oral and written)
• Ability to stay organized, plan for complicated long-term projects, and maintain detailed records.
• Track record of first author publications in scientific journals.

Preferred:

• Experience in culturing mammalian cells or immortalized cell lines or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC).
• Hands-on experience in gene editing primary cells or iPSCs.
• Strong understanding of stitching various proteins and epitopes, including protein expression and purification.
• Deep understanding of utilizing next generation sequencing data.
• Understanding the allogeneic Cell Therapy end-to-end process and currently used orthogonal assays for detecting off-targets.
• Knowledge about current US FDA and EMA guidelines for CAR-T and gene editing is a plus.
• Skills: DNA/ RNA/ Protein isolation, cell culture, flow cytometry, ELISA, western blot, qPCR, gene knockout, microscopy, primer design, protein purification and functional assay.

The salary for this position is $95,000/year, this position is eligible for a sign-on bonus. This is a two year duration based role that has eligibility for severance.

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.

Employees and/or eligible dependents may be 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.
• Employees may be 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.
• Employees are eligible for the following time off benefits:
• Vacation – up to 120 hours per calendar year
• Sick time - up to 40 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Washington – up to 56 hours per calendar year
• Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays – up to 13 days per calendar year
• Work, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 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 July 24th, 2024 . 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 Family of Companies are equal opportunity employers, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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