Director, External Innovation, DPDS (Biology Technologies) – 2 openings

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at jnj.com

As guided by Our Credo, Johnson & Johnson is responsible to our employees who work with us throughout the world. We provide an inclusive work environment where each person is considered as an individual. At Johnson & Johnson, we respect the diversity and dignity of our employees and recognize their merit.

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About Innovative Medicine:

Our expertise in Innovative Medicine is informed and inspired by patients, whose insights fuel our science-based advancements. Visionaries like you work on teams that save lives by developing the medicines of tomorrow.

Join us in developing treatments, finding cures, and pioneering the path from lab to life while championing patients every step of the way.

Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/innovative-medicine

We are searching for the best talent for a Director, External Innovation, DPDS (Biology Technologies) based in South San Francisco, CA; La Jolla, CA; Cambridge, MA; or Spring House, PA.

Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position. Relocation support may be provided for qualified candidates in accordance with company policy.

Purpose:

As the molecular invention and product development engine of Research & Development for J&J Innovative Medicine, Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS) aims to unlock the potential of the most promising disease targets and drug candidates, regardless of source, stage, or modality, to discover, develop and deliver transformational medicines for patients.

Within DPDS, the External Innovation team is now looking for an extraordinary Director level leader who is passionate about taking an important role to identify, shape, onboard, and nurture external partnerships that support the DPDS innovation strategy.

The person who takes this key role will have a particular emphasis and deep expertise in next-generation human-relevant experimental platforms that accelerate pharmacology, translational sciences, and safety assessment. Areas of focus include complex in vitro models, 2D and 3D cellular systems, organoids, microphysiological systems (MPS), organ-on-a-chip and lab-on-a-chip technologies, laboratory automation, genetic and chemical perturbation platforms, and virtual cell and AI-ready biology platforms.

The expectation is that this leader will also take a proactive role to work with the other members of the DPDS External Innovation team to optimize the DPDS / TA interface in order to deliver against our current and future portfolio of therapeutics. You will also support global External Innovation Team DPDS with scouting, landscaping and transactional support in collaboration with sourcing and activation functions.

Your will be responsible for:

• Lead the identification, evaluation, and partnership development with emerging companies, academic groups, and technology innovators advancing human-relevant models for pharmacology, toxicology, and translational sciences, including:
  • Advanced 2D and 3D cellular systems, organoids, and assembloids
  • Microphysiological systems, organ-on-a-chip and lab-on-a-chip technologies
  • Humanized and multicellular human disease models
  • High-content and high-throughput phenotypic screening platforms
  • CRISPR, gene editing, and other genetic perturbation systems
  • Chemical biology and chemical perturbation-based discovery platforms
  • Laboratory automation, robotic experimentation, and self-driving lab concepts
  • In collaboration with the AI/ML focused team in DPDS External Innovation also support the identification and evaluation of computational biology technologies and systems including:
  • Virtual cells, digital biology, and computational cell models
  • Multi-agentic AI platforms for hypothesis generation, risk assessment and closed loop AI drug discovery
• Identify technologies capable of generating high-quality, scalable, multimodal, AI-ready datasets suitable for machine learning applications across discovery, translational medicine, and safety sciences
• Present to senior stakeholders on science and technology, explaining strategic alignment and acting as a champion whilst keeping a strong eye on the data to support an opportunity
• Develop a broad and effective cross-functional network spanning Discovery, Translational Sciences, Safety Sciences, Data Sciences, Informatics, Automation Engineering, and Therapeutic Area teams; build positive and productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Work closely with the rest of the Global DPDS EI team to bring these biology platform focused innovation opportunities from into a global view and help to assess the science to choose the best opportunities to move forward independent of geography
• Act as the voice of J&J Innovative Medicine to external biotech companies, academic institutes and other external partners (conferences, partnering events etc.) talking eloquently about J&J priorities and presenting J&J as a preferred partner.
• Act as the technical deal lead or co-lead working with transactors or procurement to turn opportunities into contracted relationships with J&J
• Ensure Credo Values are demonstrated in all day-to-day interactions
• Requires up to 20% travel

Qualifications / Requirements:

Education:

• Minimum of a Master’s degree is required
• PhD is preferred
• Concentration/Major in the following: Health Sciences, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cell/Molecular Biology, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Bioengineering or Pharmaceutical Sciences is preferred

Required:

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience (i.e. industrial drug discovery or development experience)
• Deep and demonstratable scientific expertise in one or more of the following, demonstrated by peer reviewed publications and patents: pharmacology, translational sciences, toxicology and safety assessment, complex in vitro systems, human-relevant biology, systems biology, functional genomics, microphysiological systems and organ-on-a-chip technologies, advanced cellular modeling, or AI-enabled biological discovery platforms
• Familiarity with multimodal biological data generation including imaging, transcriptomics, proteomics, single-cell technologies, functional phenotyping, and perturbation biology
• Experience evaluating technologies leveraging genetic perturbations, CRISPR screening, chemical biology, synthetic biology, or virtual cell approaches
• Proficiency in planning, proactivity, self-motivation, and the ability to work independently
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Well-developed intercultural social skills are highly valued

Preferred:

• Experience with laboratory automation, robotic experimentation, high-throughput biology, and automated assay development and data generation workflows
• Strong understanding of AI/ML-enabled drug discovery and of the requirements for creating high-quality, AI-ready biological datasets (data standards, metadata, reproducibility, scale) would be an advantage
• Demonstratable experience as an end-to-end drug discovery project leader in the (bio)pharmaceutical industry

Johnson & Johnson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Johnson & Johnson is committed to providing an interview process that is inclusive of our applicants’ needs. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers, internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

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For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits