Legend Biotech is seeking an Principal Scientist, Vector Biology as part of the Research & Development team based in Philadelphia, PA.

Role Overview

Legend Biotech is a global biotechnology company dedicated to treating, and one day curing, life-threatening diseases. Headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey, we are developing advanced cell therapies across a diverse array of technology platforms, including autologous and allogenic chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, T-cell receptor (TCR-T), and natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy. From our three R&D sites around the world, we apply these innovative technologies to pursue the discovery of safe, efficacious and cutting-edge therapeutics for patients worldwide.

Legend Biotech entered into a global collaboration agreement with Janssen, one of the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, to jointly develop and commercialize ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel). Our strategic partnership is designed to combine the strengths and expertise of both companies to advance the promise of immunotherapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Legend Biotech seeks a highly experienced and scientifically driven Principal Scientist to join the Vector Biology Upstream team in Philadelphia, with a strategic focus on early process development and the establishment of a manufacturable lentiviral vector (LVV) platform in support of in-vivo CAR-T programs. This senior individual contributor role will serve as a scientific cornerstone within R&D, leading the early-stage definition, interrogation, and optimization of upstream LVV processes from molecular construct design through scalable bioreactor manufacturing with the deliberate intent of building a robust, developable process foundation that can be advanced into late-stage development and commercialization. The Principal Scientist will bring a rare combination of molecular biology depth and bioprocess engineering breadth, functioning as a key technical authority who bridges construct-level design decisions with upstream process outcomes, while closely interfacing with Downstream, Analytical, and Technical Development partners to ensure end-to-end process coherence and readiness for technology transfer.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and optimize early-stage seed train strategies from shake flask through bench-scale bioreactor, defining the foundational process parameters, cell culture conditions, and operational ranges that will underpin a scalable and manufacturable LVV platform.
• Apply molecular biology expertise to evaluate LVV constructs encompassing plasmid architecture, packaging system selection, promoter and transgene configuration, and transfer vector optimization to establish high- performing, platform-compatible vectors that meet manufacturability and potency requirements for in-vivo CAR-T applications.
• Design and optimize LVV production workflows, including transient transfection systems and emerging stable producer cell line platforms, to systematically improve vector yield, product quality attributes, and process robustness as part of an integrated early process development strategy.
• Conduct systematic media optimization, feeding strategy evaluation, and bioreactor process control development to define process setpoints, identify critical process parameters (CPPs), and establish the mechanistic understanding needed to support scale-up to 40-L and beyond.
• Partner closely with Downstream colleagues to understand purification process constraints and integrate upstream design decisions including harvest conditions, clarification approaches, and vector quality attributes that enable a cohesive, end-to-end manufacturable process.
• Design and execute fit-for-purpose early process development studies to generate the foundational data packages required for process lock, comparability assessments, and downstream regulatory filings; apply structured Design of Experiments (DoE) and risk-based approaches to maximize information yield. 
• Serve as the upstream scientific lead within Vector Biology, providing authoritative technical input to cross-functional forums on construct-process relationships, early development strategy, and the stage-appropriate advancement of research findings into formal process development programs aligned with IND-enabling timelines.
• Exercise a high degree of scientific independence in designing and executing complex experiments; proactively identify technical risks, generate mechanistic hypotheses, and implement data-driven solutions with minimal oversight to keep early development programs on track.
• Synthesize complex experimental datasets into clear, structured data packages and deliver evidence-based technical recommendations that drive go/no-go decisions, inform process development strategy, and support program progression within Vector Biology and across R&D functional teams.
• Author high-caliber technical reports, early process development summaries, and stage-gate presentations that communicate scientific progress, key process decisions, and development risk assessments to Vector Biology leadership and cross-functional R&D stakeholders.
• Operate in full adherence to BSL-2 biosafety requirements and Legend Biotech’s research policies; maintain rigorous, contemporaneous electronic laboratory notebook records that meet scientific reproducibility standards and support future transition into GxP-aligned development stages.
• Champion experimental reproducibility and data integrity through rigorous, organized documentation practices that meet the highest standards of scientific rigor and regulatory traceability.
• Apply molecular biology expertise to design, engineer, and evaluate LVV constructs encompassing plasmid architecture, packaging system selection, promoter and transgene configuration, and transfer vector optimization to establish high-performing, platform-compatible vectors that meet manufacturability and potency requirements for in-vivo CAR-T applications.

Requirements

• MS degree with 10+ years; or PhD degree with ~5-8+ years of progressive industry experience in Bioengineering, Cell Biology and Chemical Engineering, or a closely related discipline. Advanced degree (PhD) with a molecular biology or virology foundation is preferred for this Principal Scientist role in early process development.
• Demonstrated hands-on expertise in viral vector production, upstream process development, and characterization across multiple development scales, with a clear track record of translating early research-stage processes toward manufacturable, scalable platforms (required).
• Substantial experience in mammalian suspension cell culture and upstream bioprocessing, with meaningful exposure to molecular biology workflows relevant to viral vector construct engineering.
• Experience with bioreactor operations (up to 50 L preferred) and familiarity with downstream processing operations including clarification, chromatographic purification, and tangential flow filtration with the ability to apply downstream process constraints to upstream design decisions is a strong differentiator.
• Meaningful early process development experience within gene therapy or viral vector platforms, with direct hands-on contribution to defining manufacturable upstream processes from concept through bioreactor scale.
• Exceptional analytical acumen and structured scientific reasoning; experienced in the application of Design of Experiments (DoE), multivariate data analysis, and risk-based decision frameworks to accelerate early process development and maximize learning efficiency.
• Demonstrated commitment to scientific rigor and research data integrity, with proficiency in maintaining meticulous, contemporaneous electronic laboratory notebook records that ensure experimental reproducibility and are structured to support future GxP-aligned technology transfer activities.
• Highly organized and execution-oriented, with demonstrated capacity to manage multiple concurrent early development workstreams, prioritize effectively in a fast-paced R&D environment, and deliver scientifically sound results within program-driven timelines.
• Exemplary oral and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex early process development findings into compelling scientific narratives for diverse audiences including R&D leadership, CMC colleagues, and cross-functional program teams while operating with equal effectiveness as a self-directed scientific contributor and an engaged collaborative partner.
• Proficiency in molecular biology techniques central to viral vector construct design, including plasmid architecture and engineering, packaging system configuration, promoter selection and regulatory element optimization, transgene design, and transfer vector development to support LVV platform optimization (preferred).
• Working knowledge of downstream processing operations —encompassing harvest and clarification strategies, affinity and ion-exchange chromatography, and tangential flow filtration — with the scientific acuity to incorporate purification process requirements and vector quality attribute targets into upstream process design; experience in integrated upstream-downstream process development is preferred.

#Li-JR1

#Li-ONSITE

Your Responsibilities as a Project Manager:

• Lead and manage a diverse portfolio of environmental projects.
• Write and review technical reports and proposals.
• Prepare and deliver marketing presentations.
• Hire and manage subcontractors.
• Mentor and train scientific staff; potential to manage direct reports.
• Support growth focused approach to client communications.
• Ensure quality work product.
• Ensure safe performance of project work.
• Source for new business opportunities. 

What we're looking for: 

• 5+ years of relevant environmental experience.
• Ideal candidate will have a book of business surrounding remediation and environmental investigation projects.
• Additional certification strongly desired (e.g. PG, LSRP, PE, etc.)
• Demonstrates proficiency in applicable regulations and guidance (e.g. PADEP, NJDEP, NYSEC, etc.)
• Proficient in generating a work product, with staff Scientist support, compliant with applicable regulatory and company protocols/SOPs, that requires minimum revision by a Senior reviewer.
• Ability to manage a project to completion, within the project budget.
• Identifies out of scope tasks/effort, qualifies value, and secures change order approval.
• Compliance with billing schedules, Accounts Receivable management, and other financial SOPs for the purpose of increasing cash flow and decreasing WIP.
• Communicate plan, schedule, and status utilizing company procedure/SOP.
• Consistently plans and organizes workflow to minimize last minute demands on company resources.
• Ability to provide Senior management with accurate 3-month projections of resource needs (total staff hours, subcontracted cost) to implement contracted work in their projects.
• Ensures Company and subcontractor contracts are in‐place and utilized.
• Eliminates barriers and drives projects to completion with weekly oversight/direction from Senior management.
• Develops new opportunities with existing clients with direct involvement of Senior management.
• Projects technical competence and regulatory knowledge to generate confidence with client and project team. 
• Familiarity with Deltek Vantagepoint, DOMO, and HubSpot desired but not required.
• Needs to be regionally located near Philadelphia 

Why you'll love working with us:

• Company-subsidized medical and dental
• Company-paid life, short, and long-term disability
• 401k match, tuition assistance, and more
• Cross-training and the ability to work on a variety of projects
• Performance-based bonuses or other incentives
• Working with the best and brightest in the industry
• 2,000+ employee national firm with 70+ locations across the US.

#LI-MW1

Req ID: 11341

About the Role:

As a Senior Data Scientist at Perpay, you will be a critical player in the day-to-day success of the business, supporting new and existing product initiatives through strong analytical skills and machine learning expertise. In addition, you will be responsible for helping shape the future of the data science team by developing processes and systems that scale with our rapidly growing business. This is an exciting opportunity to make a positive impact on the execution of Perpay’s mission and the lives of our customers. We are looking for someone who is passionate about all aspects of data science: from machine learning and exploratory data analysis to communication of results and real-time deployments. This crucial role will sit on our data science team and report to the Data Science Manager. If you’re looking for a collaborative team that you can bounce ideas off of and learn from, this is where you belong. We are about being curious, setting the standard and building good habits at Perpay.

Our greatest strength is our people and we’d love for you to be one of them!

Responsibilities:

• Drive the end-to-end completion of data science initiatives, collaborating with stakeholders from ideation through execution, ensuring projects deliver strong impact to our customer’s financial lives and the health of the business
• Proactively identify opportunities for the data science team to improve and expand Perpay’s business model using techniques from exploratory data analysis to machine learning models, leveraging subject matter expertise of Perpay’s business model
• Support the growth of the business by delivering scalable models and algorithms while maintaining and troubleshooting existing resources
• Deploy and maintain real-time model inference resources and infrastructure
• Deploy and maintain machine learning pipelines including batch processing and continuous training architecture
• Contribute to the cross-discipline adoption and responsible use of AI/LLM models and services at Perpay 
• Present results and analyses to the a wide range of audiences: from Perpay's leadership team to non-technical peers
• Contribute to defining standards and best practices concerning workflow and adoption of new technologies within the Data Science team
• Act as an informal mentor peers

What You’ll Bring:

• 5+ years of experience* and expertise applying machine learning techniques in industry
• 5+ years of experience* and expertise in producing data analysis, exploratory data analysis and data visualization in industry
• 5+ years of experience* and expertise in developing, deploying, maintaining real-time software (e.g. models exposed as APIs)
• 5+ years of experience* and expertise in Cloud compute infrastructure and best practices, including familiarity with tools such as terraform and Cloud Formation
• Bachelor's degree or higher in a quantitative/technical field (Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, Chemistry, Physics)
• Excellent communication skills, across a range of audiences from technical to non-technical
• Strong business acumen, demonstrated through subject matter expertise in at least one industry
• Capable of managing projects “end to end” including managing project scope, timelines and workloads
• Advanced proficiency in Python and standard data science stack (e.g. scikit-learn, pandas, numpy, matplotlib, etc.)
• Team player: willingness and ability to establish strong working relationships not just within the data science team itself, but across the organization

*Internships not included

Nice to have:

• Expertise in multiple advanced machine learning methodologies: e.g. deep learning, probabilistic programming, mathematical optimization, etc.
• Deep familiarity in multiple advanced machine learning frameworks: e.g. tensorflow, pytorch, pymc, etc.
• Experience with scalable compute frameworks such as Spark or Polars
• Experience with deployment frameworks such as Kubernetes