The Senior Scientist, iPSC & Advanced Cellular Models R&D provides scientific and technical leadership for the development of differentiated iPSC-derived products and related advanced cellular models. This is a hands-on scientific leadership role that combines deep bench expertise with responsibility for establishing scientific strategy, directing complex feasibility and development efforts, and translating promising science into robust, scalable, production- and automation-ready offerings.
The Senior Scientist will work closely with scientists, technologists, automation and software engineers, quality partners, operations teams, product leaders, project managers, and external collaborators. This role guides multidisciplinary programs, mentors scientific staff, and ensures that development, validation, technology transfer, and scientific evidence support organizational and customer objectives.
Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions
- Define scientific strategy, technical roadmaps, development priorities, and experimental approaches for assigned iPSC and advanced cellular-model programs.
- Design, plan, direct, and execute complex studies involving iPSC culture, reprogramming, differentiation, characterization, organoids, assembloids, microphysiological systems, and other New Approach Methodology models.
- Evaluate established and emerging internal and external technologies and recommend whether promising capabilities should be developed internally, partnered, licensed, or acquired.
- Lead feasibility, optimization, verification, validation, and translational studies, including definition of technical risks, decision criteria, experimental strategy, and evidence-based go or no-go recommendations.
- Translate early-stage research methods into robust, reproducible, scalable, cost-conscious, production- and automation-ready workflows.
- Establish product and process requirements, critical quality attributes, critical process parameters, acceptance criteria, in-process controls, data requirements, and evidence packages needed for development and technology transfer.
- Analyze and interpret complex experimental, process, and quality data using appropriate statistical and analytical methods; resolve ambiguous technical issues and recommend clear program decisions.
- Troubleshoot complex challenges in iPSC culture, reprogramming, differentiation, characterization, and automated cellular workflows using deep hands-on scientific expertise.
- Provide scientific leadership across multidisciplinary programs involving cell biology, automation, software, quality, operations, project management, product management, and external collaborators.
- Develop and review technical feasibility assessments, development plans, validation strategies, technical reports, publications, presentations, SOPs, and technology-transfer packages.
- Lead or oversee technology transfer to operations teams and help confirm that workflows are reproducible, sufficiently documented, appropriately controlled, and ready for routine execution.
- Mentor and provide technical direction to scientists, associate scientists, technologists, and cross-functional colleagues; supervisory responsibility may be assigned based on business need.
- Communicate technical recommendations, risks, tradeoffs, resource requirements, and program decisions clearly to scientific, operational, commercial, and leadership stakeholders.
- Support stage-gate reviews, resource planning, budget stewardship, continuous improvement, intellectual-property assessment, and commercial enablement for assigned programs.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Deep, hands-on expertise in human iPSC biology and advanced cellular models, including experience with iPSC expansion, cryopreservation and recovery, maintenance of pluripotency and genomic integrity, reprogramming, directed differentiation, 3D culture, organoids, assembloids, co-culture systems, or related NAM platforms.
- Demonstrated success leading complex scientific programs from concept and feasibility through development, validation, and technology transfer.
- Strong experimental-design, data-interpretation, structured-troubleshooting, risk-assessment, and evidence-based decision-making skills.
- Demonstrated ability to translate research methods into standardized, scalable workflows with defined critical parameters, controls, acceptance criteria, quality attributes, and reproducibility expectations.
- Strong understanding of laboratory automation, liquid handling, high-throughput cell culture, imaging, digital data capture, and the translation of biological requirements for engineering and software partners.
- Proficiency with relevant characterization and analytical methods, which may include flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, microscopy, molecular assays, viability and functional assays, multi-omics, and statistical analysis.
- Experience with technical transfer, validation or qualification, SOP development, document control, change control, deviation investigation, risk management, or quality systems in a biotechnology, pharmaceutical, production, core-facility, or contract-research environment.
- Demonstrated scientific leadership, mentorship, stakeholder influence, and management of multiple concurrent technical workstreams.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including preparation and review of technical reports, presentations, publications, scientific proof points, and recommendations for leadership.
- Ability to evaluate external technologies and collaborators, build productive scientific partnerships, and recommend development, licensing, partnership, or acquisition paths.
- Demonstrated commitment to laboratory safety, data integrity, reproducibility, customer value, continuous improvement, and responsible stewardship of resources.
Required Education: Master’s degree in stem cell biology, cell biology, developmental biology, bioengineering, biomedical sciences, or a closely related field.
Preferred Education: Doctorate in a relevant field.
Education Equivalency: In lieu of a master’s degree, a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field plus three additional years of relevant experience will be considered in addition to the experience listed below.
Experience Required: 6 years of relevant experience.
Experience Preferred: 8 years of relevant experience.
Supervisory Experience: The role may include supervisory responsibility based on business need.
Pay Range: The pay range for this position is $113,718–$190,388 and is determined based on an assessment of related work experience, geographic location, and internal equity.
About JAX:
The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution with a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center and nearly 3,000 employees in locations across the United States (Maine, Connecticut, California), Japan and China. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health.
Founded in 1929, JAX applies over nine decades of expertise in genetics to increase understanding of human disease, advancing treatments and cures for cancer, neurological and immune disorders, diabetes, aging and heart disease. It models and interprets genomic complexity, integrates basic research with clinical application, educates current and future scientists, and provides critical data, tools and services to the global biomedical community. For more information, please visit www.jax.org.
EEO Statement:
The Jackson Laboratory provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, national origin, veteran status, and other classifications protected by applicable state and local non-discrimination laws.
