Johnson and Johnson Innovative Medicine (JJIM) Research and Development is recruiting an Associate Director to join our Neuroscience Neuropsychiatry Discovery group based in San Diego, USA.

We are looking for an experienced, motivated, highly collaborative neuroscientist to lead drug discovery programs from the hit identification stage to transition to the clinic. As part of our team, you will work in partnership with multidisciplinary experts to advance novel therapies and develop translational plans to enable precision medicine. The candidate should have experience in working in a pharmaceutical environment and a track record in progressing projects through the various stage gates.

You will lead a team that supports innovative platforms e.g., complex IPSC cellular models of disease and high content imaging to identify novel targets and validate them sufficiently to enter the Neuroscience Discovery Portfolio. Your group will be instrumental for us to continue building a transformational Neuroscience portfolio to develop novel treatments for Neuropsychiatric Diseases. This will require excellent communication and teamwork skills, an appetite for innovation, and keen attention to detail and organization. You should have a considerable sense of purpose and drive, be mindful of the considerable unmet medical need and imperative to generate impactful therapeutics in Neuroscience through insights of biology to shape the vision and mission of Johnson & Johnson.

• Responsible for delivering new molecular candidates for disease modifying approaches in our neuropsychiatry portfolio.
• Act as a leading expert within biological research and collaborate with cross-department teams (medicinal chemistry, DMPK, toxicology, developability, clinical and biomarkers) to craft and guide the execution of decisional experiments.
• Provide updates, documentation, and communication of project results to leadership.
• Support the evaluation of external licensing opportunities.
• Proactively build a purpose driven environment by aligning Johnson & Johnson's Credo and Leadership Imperatives with the strategies and goals of the team and enterprise.
• Leading people in the execution of research programs for an area of biology/technology platforms to meet department objectives.
• Reviews and audits all information obtained in experiments to ensure that it is recorded and retained according to established procedures.
• Assists team with design of experiments, data interpretation, and communication to stakeholders across functions and within the neuroscience department.
• Maintaining a high degree of understanding of the external environment including:
  • Initiates and drives external collaborations with academic, Contract Research Organization (CRO), or biotech partners.
  • Actively engages with internal and external scientific community through publications and presentations.

• A PhD degree with a minimum of 8 years of experience in Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology or related area, or a Master's Degree with 12 + years of drug discovery experience in pharmaceutical industry is required.
• Experience in leading drug discovery projects in multidisciplinary teams is required.
• Extensive knowledge in drug discovery, translational science and neuroscience as evidenced by publication records is required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including preparation of presentations and reports. Ability to synthesize scientific concepts into simple communication points is required.
• Proven track record of working collaboratively in a fast-paced team environment, quickly acquiring new technical skills and knowledge, and solving sophisticated technical & scientific problems is required.
• Use of electronic lab notebooks and knowledge of data capture required for intellectual property protection and regulatory purposes is required.
• This position may require up to 10% travel domestic or international.
• Experience in managing operational aspects of their teams (e.g., budget, performance, and compliance), as well as implementing workforce and succession plans to meet business needs is required.
• Proven track record in managing people of varying levels and experience within a matrix environment including setting goals, holding others accountable, managing poor performance, and developing others to reach their full potential.
• 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.