Director, Neuroscience External Innovation (APAC)

Johnson & Johnson is hiring a Director, Neuroscience External Innovation (APAC) in Shanghai, China. Level rates it ; you can apply on Johnson & Johnson.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
Tools and skills the posting cites include drug discovery, project management and business development.
Level classifies it as an executive role.
Level lists 1,700+ other open roles at Johnson & Johnson.

AI in this role

Johnson & Johnson seeks a Director for Neuroscience External Innovation in Shanghai to source external licensing and collaboration opportunities.

drug-discoveryproject-managementbusiness-developmentexternal-innovation

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.

Job Function:

Project/Program Management Group

Job Sub Function:

R&D Project Management

Job Category:

Professional

All Job Posting Locations:

Shanghai, China

Job Description:

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is recruiting for a Director to join our External Innovation Group, part of Neuroscience Discovery group based in Shanghai, China. The role will require the candidate to work across time zones as we are a global organization.

In your role, you will identify external licensing and collaboration opportunities to augment and enable our internal discovery activities. You will work closely with your colleagues within Neuroscience as well as those in External Scientific Innovation (ESI), Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation (JJDC), and Business Development (BD). You will be instrumental in our mission of building a transformational Neuroscience portfolio to develop novel treatments for Neurodegenerative and Neuropsychiatric Diseases as well as treatments for Ophthalmology Diseases. This will require excellent communication and teamwork skills, an appetite for innovation, as well as keen attention to detail and organization. You should have considerable drug discovery experience, a sense of purpose and drive, and a passion to address the considerable unmet medical need in Neuroscience.

Your Key Responsibilities:

Acts as an experienced drug hunter who can identify external opportunities that are aligned with our Disease Area Strongholds in Neuroscience. Specifically, Neurodegeneration, Neuropsychiatry and Ophthalmology
Work cross-functionally to identify, source, prioritize, and lead scientific assessment of external opportunities that could be leveraged for licensing, joint development, investment opportunities (i.e. JJDC), and strategic alliances

Ability to shape our External Innovation Strategy and deliver innovative ideas that use internal (e.g. ESI or BD) and external connections (e.g. biotech, pharma, and academia) to demonstrate your ability to anticipate the evolution of the marketplace and competition

Ensure an available pool of assets across all early phases through business model creation, innovation acquisition and collaborations as well as lead initiatives to shape external opportunities e.g. activations such as quick fire challenges

Scientific credibility to lead interactions with senior leaders at governance meetings, venture, academic research centers, and other external parties

Lead scientific engagement in the external ecosystem in the form of scientific symposium to strengthen collaborations and showcase thought leadership

Manage documentation and database of all in-bound enquiries and opportunities

Effective oral and written communication to ensure alignment across functions and within the neuroscience department

Education and Experience Requirements:

Required:

A PhD degree with a minimum of 10 years of experience in Neuroscience research or 7 years of demonstrable experience in Pharmaceutical R&D
Demonstrated track record in drug discovery
Demonstrated expertise in Neurodegeneration, Neuropsychiatry, and/or Ophthalmology
Ability to develop and maintain strong internal and external networks
Proactively creates a purpose driven environment by aligning Johnson & Johnson’s Credo and Leadership Imperatives with the strategies and goals of the team and enterprise
Must be able to work independently with minimum supervision to meet tight deadlines, and maintain a positive attitude

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

Agility Jumps, Business Alignment, Continuous Improvement, Mentorship, Performance Measurement, Process Control, Program Management, Project Management Methodology (PMM), Project Management Office (PMO), Project Reporting, Project Schedule, Quality Control (QC), Research and Development, Risk Management, Tactical Planning, Technical Credibility

How we rate this

Director, Neuroscience External Innovation (APAC) at Johnson & Johnson rates 0 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Director, Neuroscience External Innovation (APAC) is an open job at Johnson & Johnson.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The role is based in Shanghai, China.
The job was posted on August 25, 2026.
Seniority: executive.
Applications are handled by Johnson & Johnson. Apply on Johnson & Johnson

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Drug DiscoveryProject ManagementBusiness DevelopmentExternal Innovation

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where drug discovery was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where project management was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where business development was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where external innovation was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Drug Discovery, Project Management, Business Development, and External Innovation. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.

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