Roche

Principal Scientist I

Cape Town Full time

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. 

The Opportunity
 

We are seeking a dynamic and technically proficient Principal Scientist I to join our Sequencing Assay Development group in Roche Diagnostics Cape Town. This role is designed for a candidate who combines deep scientific expertise in the sequencing space with the ability to drive product development delivery. We are looking for a confident, technically rounded individual who can work with a high degree of autonomy, designing experiments and driving results while providing technical leadership and coaching to the team.
 

Key Challenges

  • Drive the delivery of product development activities, either as a project team member or as the Technical Project Lead, and ensure all activities meet quality standards and timelines.

  • Assume full responsibility for the design and execution of robust experiments, ensuring the accuracy, quality, and timeliness of results.

  • Independently analyze, interpret, and record data, present findings to relevant stakeholders and determine the next experimental steps.

  • Act as a technical gatekeeper and subject matter expert, applying independent thinking to solve complex technical challenges.

  • Foster a culture of high performance by providing technical coaching and guidance on experimental design, data analysis, and technical writing to less experienced colleagues.

  • Contribute to the group’s technical strategy and develop influence within the organization to navigate diverse situations and shape the technical direction of the sequencing portfolio.

  • Learn and apply the Roche quality management systems for product development, ensuring all Development activities/deliverables are compliant.


Who You Are as an Ideal Candidate
Qualifications and Experience

  • Higher degree (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biotechnology, or a related scientific discipline.

  • Extensive experience in a relevant scientific setting, typically 7+ years.

  • Demonstrated history of designing experiments and driving product development projects from concept to feasibility.

  • Relevant industry experience in feasibility testing, Verification and Validation, Design of Experiments, and Design for Quality and Manufacturability.
     

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

  • In-depth conceptual and practical knowledge of biochemistry or molecular biology as it relates to Next Generation Sequencing.

  • Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision and make critical technical decisions.

  • Strong interpersonal skills with the presence to lead projects and mentor junior scientists.

  • High level of energy and drive to ensure work is not only planned but executed efficiently in the lab.

  • Commitment to a growth and learning mindset for personal and team development.

 

 

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.