Molecular Biology Scientist/Senior Associate Scientist

Legend Biotech is seeking a Molecular Biology Scientist/Senior Associate Scientist as part of the Research & Early 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 ciltacabta gene autolecuel (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 motivated molecular biologist to join the Vector Biology team in Philadelphia, supporting lentiviral vector (LVV) design, construction, and functional evaluation, as well as engineered cell line development to enable CAR-T and other cell therapy programs. This role emphasizes reliable experimental execution, timely delivery of materials, and clear data communication.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute viral vector plasmid and helper plasmid design and construction to support gene overexpression, knock-down, and knock-out studies independently.
• Perform routine molecular cloning workflows and ensure plasmid quality meets established QC standards for vector production.
• Maintain accurate plasmid records including sequence files, maps, inventory/locations and support internal construct requests in partnership with other cross-functional teams.
• Generate and characterize engineered mammalian cell lines for transient or stable viral vector production, single-cell cloning, cell engineering, and basic characterization.
• Perform mammalian cell culture and transient transfection under BSL-2 conditions.
• Support small-scale vector production using suspension cell lines for early development activities.
• Execute molecular/cellular assays to evaluate vector performance using qPCR/dPCR, ELISA/Western Blot, and flow cytometry.
• Analyze data, summarize results, present clear experiment conclusions, escalate issues, and propose next steps to project leads.
• Adhere to BSL-2 biosafety standards and Legend policies, maintaining accurate and compliant electronic lab notebooks and documentation.
• Collaborate cross-functional support tech transfer activities as needed.
• Independently plans day-to-day execution within project goals, recommends optimizations and next experiments.

Requirements

• Scientist: M.S. with 5+ years or Ph.D. with 0-2 years in a related field; hands-on molecular cloning, cell engineering and mammalian cell culture required.
• Hands-on experience in molecular biology techniques (cloning, plasmid prep, sequence analysis and construct verification).
• Experience with mammalian cell culture and transient transfection; familiarity with BSL-2 practices and documentation.
• Experience generating engineered cell lines (stable expression and/or CRISPR KO/KI) including cloning and basic screening (Scientist preferred).
• Exposure to viral vector production and/or viral vector workflows (LVV preferred).
• Experience with titering and functional readouts (e.g., transduction efficiency and gene expression).
• Experience with qPCR/dPCR, flow cytometry, Western blot, and ELISA for tittering and functional assays.
• Strong ELN documentation, sample tracking, and ability to follow protocols/SOPs with attention to detail.
• Adaptable to a fast-paced environment; effective prioritization, collaboration, and communication.
• CRISPR/Cas gene editing for KO/KI or multiplexed cell lines.
• Familiarity with viral vector process development concepts (upstream and/or downstream).
• Exposure to NGS or Nanopore sequencing for vector or genome characterization.
• Tech transfer and/or CMC documentation experience (nice to have).
• Organized and detail-oriented; able to manage multiple experiments/projects.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills to troubleshoot and implement improvement.
• Collaborative; able to work effectively within a team environment.
• Maintain accurate ELN, sample tracking, and inventory records.
• Clear written and verbal communication for documentation and data presentation.

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