Sr. Principal Scientist Oncology Translational Research, Prostate

About the role

Johnson & Johnson is seeking a highly motivated Senior Principal Scientist/Associate Director in the Translational Research organization to lead biomarker and translational science efforts across pre-NME through late clinical development programs in prostate cancer. This role will drive the design, implementation, and interpretation of biomarker strategies supporting early and late-stage clinical trials, including both registrational and exploratory studies. The successful candidate will work within a highly matrixed development environment to integrate translational science with clinical development, ensuring that biomarker data informs patient selection, pharmacodynamic assessment, and mechanisms of response and resistance. The candidate will partner closely with clinical development, biostatistics, diagnostics, regulatory, discovery research, and external academic collaborators to translate biological insights into actionable clinical strategies. This position is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts; San Diego, California; or Spring House, Pennsylvania.

Responsibilities

• Translational Research & Biomarker Strategy
  • Lead development and execution of integrated translational research internal and external scientific endeavors and biomarker strategies for prostate cancer drug development programs.
  • Design biomarker plans aligned with therapeutic mechanism of action and clinical development objectives: pharmacodynamic (PD), target engagement (TE), response, safety and resistance.
  • Ensure biomarker strategies address key clinical questions including patient stratification or enrichment, pharmacodynamic biomarkers, target engagement, mechanisms of response and resistance.
  • Guide selection and prioritization of biomarkers across multiple platforms including: genomics and transcriptomics; circulating biomarkers (ctDNA, plasma proteins); tissue-based molecular and spatial biomarkers; immunologic and tumor microenvironment profiling; digital pathology and computational biomarker approaches.
  • Design and manage in vitro experiments to reveal novel combination strategies, response and resistance patterns with other pipeline assets.
• Clinical Trial Integration
  • Partner with clinical development teams to integrate biomarker hypotheses into clinical trial protocols, biomarker analysis plans, and statistical analysis frameworks.
  • Design biomarker sample collection and analysis strategies for Phase I–III clinical trials.
  • Ensure biomarker analyses support key decision points in development programs.
  • Collaborate with clinical operations and laboratory partners to ensure effective biomarker implementation.
• Biomarker Governance & Execution
  • Represent Translational Research in cross-functional governance discussions and program team meetings.
  • Coordinate biomarker activities across internal laboratories, CRO partners, and external collaborators.
  • Ensure biomarker assays are fit-for-purpose and analytically robust for clinical trial use.
  • Support documentation of biomarker strategies relevant to regulatory interactions and submissions.
• External Research Collaborations
  • Evaluate and prioritize external translational research proposals and collaborations aligned with program strategy.
  • Partner with academic investigators and technology providers to advance biomarker discovery and validation.
  • Identify emerging technologies and scientific approaches relevant to prostate cancer translational biology.
• Data Integration & Interpretation
  • Translate complex data into actionable insights that inform clinical development strategy.
  • Lead multidisciplinary interpretation of translational datasets integrating clinical outcomes, genomic and molecular data, pathology, tissue-based biomarkers and circulating biomarker data.
• Scientific Communication
  • Prepare and present translational and biomarker findings to internal governance committees and cross-functional teams.
  • Represent the company at major scientific conferences with key opinion leaders and cross functional team members.
  • Contribute to peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations and adhere to processes for best practices and oversight.

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications
  • PhD in biomedical sciences (e.g., pharmacology, immunology, cancer biology, molecular biology, or related discipline)
  • Postdoctoral training in a relevant biomedical field
  • Minimum 3 years of biopharmaceutical drug development experience after