Principal Scientist II

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections,  where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

A healthier future. It's what drives us to innovate. To continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come. Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love. That's what makes us Roche.

At Roche, we are working to make next-generation sequencing simple and accessible enough for routine use. By accelerating clinical research, streamlining workflows, and expanding assay menus, we are broadening access to genomic data and lowering barriers to adoption. From robust sample isolation and preparation tools to novel sequencing technology and advanced bioinformatics, we are developing differentiated, highly integrated end-to-end solutions for next-generation sequencing, resulting in a sample in, result out workflow.

Our Systems Technology Group, a part of Roche Sequencing Solutions, is focused on creating and advancing technologies to significantly enhance DNA sequencing workflows. We are seeking a Principal Scientist II, Molecular Biology and Microfluidic Systems Integration, to help lead the research and early development of our next-generation sample preparation and sequencing platforms. This is a critical, hands-on leadership role for a scientist who is passionate about pioneering new technologies and can bridge the gaps between complex molecular biology, chemistry and cutting-edge microfluidic instrumentation. We are seeking an accomplished technical leader and multi-disciplinary expert who lives at the intersection of enzymology and fluidic systems engineering to drive sub-system and platform development, taking them from initial concepts to robust, fully integrated solutions.

The Opportunity:

• You will serve as the team's primary subject matter expert in molecular biology, enzymology, sequencing sample and library preparation, and sequencing chemistry. You will be the go-to person for explaining complex biological concepts to a team of talented engineers.

• You will help guide the architecture of novel microfluidic systems by defining technical requirements rooted in the first principles of biochemistry and molecular biology. You will help invent, prototype, characterize and develop novel devices, systems and workflows for next-generation sequencing applications, with a strong focus on automation and miniaturization using microfluidics and other advanced technologies.

• You will lead the effort to translate, miniaturize, and optimize complex biological and chemical workflows onto early-stage instruments, breadboards, and fixtures with complex fluidic systems.

• You will design and execute rigorous experiments to optimize system and instrument performance and drive troubleshooting efforts for assay and workflow performance issues on-instrument, collaborating closely with engineers (hardware, consumables, software) and chemists. Your troubleshooting will be hypothesis-driven, seamlessly connecting systemic failures back to molecular, chemical, or physical root causes.

• You will analyze results and complex data sets, author technical reports, generate intellectual property, and communicate findings and progress to the team, the organization and senior leadership.

• You will identify and champion new technological opportunities, contributing to the strategic direction of the R&D organization.

• You will help build and lead a high-performing team, mentoring scientists and engineers, championing a systems-level approach to problem-solving and fostering a culture of scientific rigor and innovation.

A cover letter is required for this application.

Please outline your relevant experience and explain why you are interested in this role and Roche.

Who You Are: (Required):

• You have a PhD in Biophysics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or a related discipline with 7+ years of relevant industry experience; OR a Master's degree in Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering or a closely related discipline with 8+ years of relevant industry experience; OR a Bachelor's degree in Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering or a closely related discipline with 10+ years of relevant industry experience.

• You have demonstrated deep, hands-on expertise in molecular biology, particularly with NGS library prep, enzymology, and nucleic acid characterization. You have likely prepared hundreds, if not thousands, of DNA/RNA libraries from a variety of samples and possess an expert-level ability to troubleshoot every step of the process, from sample input to sequencing data.

• You have experience developing novel assays or library prep kits from scratch, deeply understanding the function and formulation of each reagent.

• You have significant industry experience successfully implementing molecular biology assays or sequencing workflows on breadboards, fixtures or prototype instruments with complex fluidics or on highly integrated microfluidic devices.

• You have demonstrated a strong ability to troubleshoot complex integrated systems from a first-principles perspective, identifying and resolving issues that span molecular biology, chemistry, hardware, consumables and software.

• You exhibit a high degree of motivation, ingenuity, and resourcefulness to solve problems, invent new technology and develop cutting-edge products in a fast-paced, ambiguous R&D environment.

• You have demonstrated the ability to lead projects and mentor others.

• You have demonstrated strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to communicate technical knowledge in a clear and understandable manner, (especially to non-experts); you excel at problem-solving skills and the ability to work under ambiguous situations.

• You have excellent organizational skills, including the ability to efficiently evaluate, prioritize and handle multiple changing projects and priorities; you complete work in a timely, accurate and thorough manner.

• You work with a sense of urgency, optimism and natural scientific/engineering curiosity. 

• You have a desire to learn and be challenged, to always seek out new challenges, and to challenge the status quo.

Preferred:

• You have direct experience writing custom scripts for experimental hardware control, automation and data analysis.

• You have experience leading multi-disciplinary technical teams, managing direct reports and developing talent.

• You have a strong record of innovation, demonstrated by publications and patents.

• You have demonstrated proficiency with standard bioinformatics pipelines and tools for genomic analysis and can assess subtle differences in sequencing performance between data sets.

• You have experience with Design of Experiments (DOE) and statistical process control (SPC).

This is an on-site position based in Santa Clara, CA.

Relocation benefits are not being offered for this role.

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of Santa Clara, CA is $125,500 - $233,500.  Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law.  A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. 

This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.

Benefits

#RSS2025

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy and practice to employ, promote, and otherwise treat any and all employees and applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence. The company's policy prohibits unlawful discrimination, including but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of Protected Veteran status, individuals with disabilities status, and consistent with all federal, state, or local laws.

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