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

Job Function:

Discovery & Pre-Clinical/Clinical Development

Job Sub Function:

Biological Research

Job Category:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

San Diego, California, 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, Biological Research to be in La Jolla, CA.
 

Purpose:
We are seeking a highly motivated and innovative scientist to lead the development and implementation of advanced immunological cell-based assays to support drug discovery programs. The successful candidate will be able to lead early drug discovery screening efforts, with a proven ability to apply cutting-edge technologies in a dynamic and collaborative environment, to advance J&J's Immunology discovery portfolio. This position is within Mechanistic Cellular Pharmacology team.

You will be responsible for:

• Design, develop, and optimize complex cell-based assays utilizing suitable immune cell types, to support discovery projects from hit identification through lead optimization.
• Drive technology innovation for HT disease-relevant screening platforms in collaboration with automation team.
• Lead Immunology discovery programs by leveraging broad technology platforms of DTMP (Discovery Technology and Molecular Pharmacology).
• Develop compelling scientific presentations and reports for internal reviews and external publications.
• Provide scientific leadership and mentorship to team members; Foster collaborative relationships with stakeholders.
• Build and maintain effective scientific networks across internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and best practices in assay development and data integrity.

Qualifications / Requirements:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree is required
• Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Immunology, or related fields is highly preferred
   

Required:

• Minimum 6 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and/or academic setting
• Minimum 3 years of pharmaceutical industry experience in assay design and HTS specialization
• Hands-on flow cytometry and imaging experience
• Strong knowledge of immuno-cell biology, pharmacology, and in vitro/in vivo pharmacology models.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, open collaborative style, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, competitive environment.
• Outstanding communication skills to convey scientific credibility and influence decision-making.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Positive attitude and strong interpersonal skills for stakeholder engagement.

Preferred:

• Demonstrated ability to apply big data analytics and computational tools in drug discovery.
• Track record of strategic thinking and execution in assay development and technology innovation.
   

The anticipated base pay range for this position in the US 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.
 

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)).

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 January 1, 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, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers, internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

#LI-Onsite

Required Skills:

 

 

Preferred Skills:

 

 

The anticipated base pay range for this position is :

$117,000.00 - $201,250.00

Additional Description for Pay Transparency:

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