Legend Biotech · 1 week ago
Senior Scientist
Philadelphia, PA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$124K/yr - $162K/yr
3+ years expLegend Biotech is a global biotechnology company dedicated to treating life-threatening diseases. They are seeking a Senior Scientist to join the R&D team in Philadelphia, focusing on lentiviral vector design and cell line development to support CAR-T and other cell therapy programs.
BiotechnologyHealth CareLife ScienceOncologyTherapeutics
Responsibilities
Design and construct viral vector plasmids and helper plasmids to support gene overexpression, knock-down, and knock-out studies for CAR-T and other cell therapy programs
Plan and execute cloning strategies and verify constructs (restriction analysis, Sanger/NGS sequencing)
Act as an internal plasmid/viral vector design liaison, managing plasmid inventories, sequence databases, and construct requests from research and development teams
Generate and characterize engineered mammalian cell lines (e.g., CRISPR-KO, stable overexpression, multiplexed gene edits), including single-cell cloning and expansion
Perform small-scale viral vector production using suspension cell lines (e.g., transient transfection in shake flasks or small bioreactors) to support discovery, assay development, and early process development activities
Develop, optimize, and execute molecular and cellular assays to assess vector performance using qPCR/ddPCR based assay, Western blot, ELISA and Flow cytometry
Independently plan, perform, analyze, and interpret experiments, delivering clear data summaries and recommendations to the Vector Biology and cross-functional teams
Prepare high-quality technical reports, study summaries, and slide decks to support decisions on vector design, comparability, and progression of exploratory projects into process development
Collaborate closely with other internal teams in Vector Biology and coordinate cross-functional activities as needed for tech transfer and CMC support
Contribute to continuous improvement by scouting and implementing new tools and best practices in vector design and analytics
Adhere to BSL-2 biosafety standards and Legend policies, maintaining accurate and compliant electronic lab notebooks and documentation
Qualification
Required
Ph.D. with 3+ years or M.S. with 5+ years in Molecular Biology, Virology, Cell & Gene Therapy, Biochemistry, or related field with 3+ years of relevant experience
Demonstrated hands-on experience in lentiviral vector production and characterization (required)
Expertise in molecular and cell biology techniques, including plasmid/vector design, sequence analysis, cloning, and gene engineering
Proven ability in viral vector engineering, encompassing plasmid construction, production, and analytical characterization
Proficiency in mammalian cell culture (adherent and/or suspension), including transient transfection and maintenance of engineered cell lines under BSL-2 conditions
Proven experience establishing stable producer cell line for viral vector production, including clone screening and productivity characterization
Experience producing and characterizing lentiviral vectors at small scale, including titer determination and basic functional readouts (e.g., transduction efficiency, gene expression)
Hands-on experience with Western blotting and flow cytometry for protein and cell-based analyses
Adaptable to a fast-paced biotech environment with the ability to prioritize and adjust workload as needed
Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects in parallel and work independently
Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills to develop innovative solutions and meet project objectives
Strong collaboration skills and ability to operate effectively within a team environment
Proficiency in maintaining accurate and detailed records of experimental procedures, data, and results in an electronic lab notebook to ensure reproducibility and accessibility
Excellent oral and written communication skills for documenting work and presenting data to teams
Preferred
Experience with high-throughput assays, techniques using PCR/qPCR, and ddPCR preferred
Experience with CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing or other genome engineering tools for creation of KO/KI or multiplexed cell lines
Familiarity with upstream and/or downstream viral vector process development
Exposure to NGS-based methods for vector or genome characterization
Prior experience contributing to tech transfer and/or CMC activities for cell or gene therapy products
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k)-retirement plan with company match that vest fully on day one
Equity and stock options
Eight weeks of paid parental leave after just three months of employment
Paid time off policy that includes vacation days, personal days, sick time, 11 company holidays, and 3 floating holidays
Flexible spending and health savings accounts
Life and AD&D insurance
Short- and long-term disability coverage
Legal assistance
Supplemental plans such as pet, critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance
Commuter benefits
Family planning and care resources
Well-being initiatives
Peer-to-peer recognition programs
Company
Legend Biotech
Legend Biotech is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and commercializes novel cell therapies for oncology.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Legend Biotech has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (30)
2024 (11)
2023 (14)
2022 (7)
2021 (6)
2020 (13)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$750.45M2023-05-05Post Ipo Equity· $350M
2022-07-25Post Ipo Equity· $250M
2020-06-05IPO
Leadership Team
Carlos Santos
Chief Financial Officer
Alan Bash
President, CARVYKTI
Recent News
2026-01-17
2025-12-18
Company data provided by crunchbase