Senior Laboratory Automation Scientist
Job description
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:
R&D Product Development
Job Sub Function:
R&D Electrical/Mechatronic Engineering
Job Category:
Scientific/Technology
All Job Posting Locations:
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 Senior Laboratory Automation Scientist to be located in Spring House, PA.
Purpose:
The Senior Laboratory Automation Scientist owns scientific automation readiness for one or more integrated workcells. The role translates complex biological, biochemical, analytical, and screening workflows into executable automated sequences that preserve sample identity, scientific intent, data context, and downstream decision value.
The Senior Scientist will lead design, integration, qualification, optimization, and lifecycle support of integrated laboratory automation workcells for discovery and analytical workflows, with explicit responsibility for scientific operability, handoffs, method robustness, data provenance, exception recovery, user adoption and workflow readiness.
This role is complementary to the Senior Automation and Robotics Engineer. The scientist owns the workflow, method, sample logic, data context, and user adoption; the engineer owns the physical system, machine behavior, robot motion, safety, serviceability, and engineering acceptance.
You will be responsible for:
Workcell Architecture and Scientific Design
Leading translation of scientific workflows into process maps, sample flows, consumable flows, method logic, instrument sequences, metadata needs, analytical outputs, data handoffs, and scientific decision points.
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, user feedback, scientific output quality, throughput, hands-on time, and data completeness.
Additional Responsibilities:
Support technology evaluations, proof-of-concept studies, workflow readiness assessments, user demonstrations, and vendor evaluations for future automation capabilities.
Contribute to laboratory automation standards, workflow templates, data handoff expectations, training materials, and playbooks.
Support audit, inspection, or quality documentation requests where automated scientific workflows intersect with regulated or quality driven environments.
Participate in lessons learned and continuous improvement activities to improve future automation delivery and adoption.
Qualifications/Requirements
Education:
A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Analytical Sciences, Laboratory Automation, Engineering, Computer Science, or related field is required. An advanced degree is preferred.
Experience and Skills:
Required:
Bachelor’s degree with 6+ years, Master’s degree with 4+ years, PhD with 2+ years of relevant experience in laboratory automation, scientific automation, analytical automation, or workcell integration.
Demonstrated understanding of laboratory workflows, sample handling, plate/tube formats, assay execution, consumable preparation, run documentation, and data capture.
Hands-on or practical experience with automated liquid handlers or integrated laboratory automation equipment appropriate to the level of the role.
Ability to translate scientific workflows into executable automated methods, worklists, run states, exception pathways, and user-facing procedures.
Working knowledge of sample identity, labware identity, reagent identity, consumable state, barcode traceability, metadata capture, and downstream data requirements.
Ability to collaborate with scientists, automation engineers, IT, data science, AI, EHS, facilities, vendors, and laboratory operations.
Experience developing and implementing automated laboratory workflows or high-throughput methods.
Experience with inter-workcell handoffs, method qualification, user training, exception recovery, technical documentation, and lifecycle support.
Preferred:
Experience with ELN, LIMS, GDB, data lakes, request tracking, APIs, scripting, device drivers, scheduling logic, biosafety, contamination control, simulation, digital twin methods, FAIR data, or structured metadata.
Experience with biologics discovery, protein production/purification, NGS, biophysics, cell-based assays, screening, analytical development, or protein characterization workflows.
Experience with orchestration software such as Biosero Green Button Go, Cellario, Momentum, or equivalent systems.
Other:
Travel may be required for vendor assessments, FAT/SAT activities, site visits, system builds, workshops, training, technology scouting, or cross-site deployment support.
Why Join Us
This role supports the transition from isolated automation projects to integrated, reliable, AI-native, and ultimately self-driving discovery laboratory systems. The work helps connect scientific intent with robust physical execution, reproducible data, model feedback, and scalable operational capability.
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, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers, internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.
If you are under 18 years of age, you (the candidate) may need to obtain the necessary working papers or other documentation required by state law to start the assignment, as well as get a parent’s consent for the background check.
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