Principal II Scientist, Applied Chemistry, Fluidic Systems, Research & Early Development

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

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 seeking a Principal II Scientist to lead our applied chemistry efforts. This is a hands-on role for a multidisciplinary expert focused on solving the core chemical challenges at the heart of our next-generation platforms. You will be responsible for inventing, developing, and integrating the novel chemical processes and formulations that ensure the ultimate performance, reliability, and longevity of our systems. In this role, you will lead early-stage R&D projects and collaborate closely with materials, mechanical, consumables, and integration engineers to develop robust solutions—from inventing novel surface modification strategies to formulating reagents that solve complex challenges like non-specific binding and carryover—bridging the gap between fundamental chemistry and applied systems engineering.

The Opportunity
 

Chemistry Innovation & Process Development

• You will invent, screen, and validate novel chemical formulations and buffer additives to mitigate biofouling and the non-specific adsorption of sensitive molecules within complex fluidic systems.

• You will pioneer and optimize novel chemistries and conjugation methodologies for the attachment of coatings, polymers and biomolecules to various surfaces, ensuring high efficiency, stability, and optimal density for downstream applications.

• You will lead the development and validation of protocols for complex fluidic systems to eliminate carryover and ensure robust, reproducible performance over the lifetime of the system.

• You will design and execute studies to determine optimal process conditions and chemical compatibility for on-instrument processes and chemical reactions.

• You will drive root cause investigations of system-level contamination issues. 
   

Assay Development & System Performance

• You will develop novel characterization methods and assays to assess the performance of surface modifications, including the quantification of ligand density, binding capacity, and chemical stability.

• You will develop and manage end-to-end analytical workflows for trace contaminant detection, including selection of instrumentation and collaboration with external labs.

• You will utilize simulation tools and scripting to model chemical and fluidic workflows, predict system behavior, and accelerate the optimization of experimental protocols.
   

Workflow Implementation & System Troubleshooting

• You will conduct hands-on experiments and activities on breadboards, custom fixtures, and early-stage prototype systems, personally driving the optimization of chemical workflows on fluidic systems and related hardware.

• You will troubleshoot complex, system-level performance issues where the root cause may be chemical in nature and will require a deep, first-principles approach to problem-solving that spans chemistry, materials, hardware and software.
   

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Strategy

• You will serve as the team's primary subject matter expert on applied chemistry, partnering closely with Materials, Consumables and Fluidics Engineers to select, test, and qualify new materials for chemical compatibility and performance, and develop scalable methods to bond similar and dissimilar materials, ensuring the long-term integrity of consumable devices.

• You will collaborate with Systems, Mechanical, and Software Engineers to ensure seamless integration of chemical processes with th