Principal Scientist - BostonGene

About BOSTONGENE:

BostonGene Corporation pioneers biomedical software for advanced patient analysis and personalized therapy decision-making in cancer treatment. Our solution integrates cutting-edge cancer research and clinical data to empower clinicians in tailoring optimal treatment strategies for individual patients.

Position Overview

We are looking for a Senior or Principal Scientist to lead the day-to-day operation of our R&D NGS platform. This individual will lead a team that develops, validates, implements, and continuously improves NGS assays at BostonGene. This candidate will manage the NGS R&D test portfolio, including various DNA and RNA sequencing tests from tissue, cells, and plasma; including whole genome sequencing, cell-free RNA, and single cell RNAseq ensuring the highest standards of quality, efficiency, and innovation. This position will require a deep understanding of existing and emerging NGS technologies, and the flexibility to oversee a large and diverse portfolio of NGS testing products. This candidate will need to possess exceptional operational management skills, and self-motivation to drive continuous improvement in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, and serve as a critical NGS product development driver.

Key Responsibilities:

• NGS Assay Development & Quality Control:

Develop and standardize NGS test methods for measuring patient samples, including tissue and liquid biopsy-based DNA and RNA-based tests.

Establish and maintain rigorous quality control and quality assurance processes.

Monitor and evaluate performance metrics to ensure the highest quality of sequencing data.

Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues across NGS teams to minimize downtime and maintain operational continuity.

• Technology and Innovation:

Stay abreast of the latest advancements in NGS technological and genomic research.

Work with R&D leadership to evaluate and then implement new technologies and methods to keep the company at the cutting edge of genomic testing.

Maintain a process of continuous improvement and analytical validation of testing platforms.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:

Work closely with internal clinical operations, bioinformatics, regulatory and other R&D platform teams to deploy NGS tests for commercial and academic collaboration projects.

Collaborate with external partners, vendors, and regulatory bodies as needed.

Work with project management and alliance teams to assess project feasibility and define project scope.

• Leadership and Strategy:

Execute strategic plans for NGS operations to support the company’s NGS product portfolio, support clinical trials, collaborations, and internal R&D assay development.

Lead, mentor, and manage a high-performing team of scientists, laboratory technicians, and bioinformaticians.

Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence within the NGS teams in the BG laboratory.

• Budget and Resource Management:

Develop and manage budgets for NGS assay development, and assay improvements ensuring cost-effective use of resources.

Oversee procurement and maintenance of laboratory equipment and supplies.

Identify and implement cost-saving measures without compromising quality.

Preferred Skills:

Next Generation Sequencing

Proficiency with DNA and RNA sequencing from cells, fresh and FFPE tissue, and plasma using various platforms for extraction, library preparation, and sequencing, particularly Illumina NovaSeq6000 and NovaSeq X-plus.

NGS Process Development

Streamline NGS workflows to decrease costs, eliminate errors, and reduce turnaround time.

Assay Development & Tech Transfer

Design new NGS tests, improve performance characteristics of existing assays, develop and execute validation plans.

Team Management & Effective Communication

Proven ability to coordinate and matrix interdisciplinary teams of scientists, technologists, and bioinformaticians to achieve company goals.

Adaptability & Self-Motivation

Proactive and self-driven, with a strong sense of accountability and teamwork. Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.

Supply Chain Management

Monitor and control reagent inventory, usage, to control costs and maximize efficiency.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Genomics, or a related field.
• 5-10 years of experience in commercial NGS test development, validation, and tech transfer into a CLIA/CAP/GCLP environment.
• Experience writing detailed SOPs and successfully implementing them in a complex multi-omic workflow.
• Deep knowledge of existing and emerging NGS technologies, proficiency in practical genomic data analysis and up to date with the current genomic literature.
• Deep expertise in troubleshooting NGS protocols from nucleic acid extraction to sequencing.
• Working knowledge of bioinformatics approaches, and experience collaborating with computational scientists and bioinformaticians.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Track record of training and mentoring junior scientists and research associates.
• Demonstrated ability to function in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Experience with regulatory compliance in clinical genomics is a plus.