Distinguished Scientist, Translational Safety

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 https://www.jnj.com

Job Function:

Discovery & Pre-Clinical/Clinical Development

Job Sub Function:

Nonclinical Safety

Job Category:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America, San Diego, California, United States of America, Spring House, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Job Description:

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 Distinguished Scientist, Translational Safety to be located in Spring House, PA or Cambridge, MA or San Diego, CA.

Purpose: The Distinguished Scientist will serve as a key member of the Translational Safety team in Translational PK/PD & Investigative Toxicology (TPPIT) and Preclinical Sciences & Translational Safety (PSTS) and will be responsible for leading the predictive toxicology initiatives in the early drug discovery and de-risking.  The successful candidate will work in matrixed teams evaluating, validating, recommending and integrating conventional in vitro models and complex cellular model systems for predicting off-target and major organ toxicities and guiding drug candidate selection during the early drug development process. This scientist will work closely with teams across PSTS on mechanistic studies as needed while focusing on moving our predictive toxicity workflows to the next level.  The Distinguished Scientist will be responsible for communicating predictive investigative screening plans and updates to PSTS issues teams, project teams, and global leadership in partnership with leaders in Translational Safety and in Therapeutic Development.  Strong knowledge of AI/ML model development is essential as we invest in an R&D wide digital transformation.

Your responsibilities:  

• Lead efforts to build and refine robust high-throughput in vitro organ specific cellular screening workflows
• Serve as the liaison between High throughput screening, Data Sciences, In Silico Modeling and Preclinical Safety Teams
• In collaboration with External Scientific Innovation and Business Development, evaluate external environment to identify new technologies, platforms & CROs with novel, cutting edge applications for in vitro toxicology
• Partner with members of Translation Safety & Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS) functional groups to oversee the conversion of mechanistic cellular, molecular & biochemical toxicology assays into high throughput predictive screening assays
• Function as a key member of Global Translational Safety Team partnering with global leads to establish strategic goals and objectives
• Communicate screening plans and updates to leadership and multidisciplinary teams
• Maintain toxicology expertise through collaborations within TPPIT & PSTS globally, DPDS, and through organizational associations, literature reviews, continuing education, and publications.
• Partner with Global Lead of Cellular & Molecular Toxicology, as well as Safety Pharmacology leads  to establish strategic goals and objectives.
• Identify topics appropriate for internal and external scientific publication, author scientific publications, posters and or draft documents for official communication (i.e. Contributing Scientist Reports, weight of evidence packages).

Qualifications / Requirements:

Education: A minimum of a Ph.D. and postdoctoral work in Toxicology, Pharmacology, Biology or related field is required.

Skills/Experience:

• A minimum of 2-5 years postdoctoral training with a total of 12+ years of relevant work experience is required.
• Demonstrated knowledge in designing and conducting mechanistic in vitro studies incorporating high throughput applications of cell-based models required.
• Experience with high throughput applications of organotypic models incorporating multiple cell types including immune cells required.
• Demonstrated knowledge of drug discovery and experience with drug modalities beyond small molecules required.
• Advanced knowledge of cellular and molecular toxicology and demonstrated experience driving projects to completion required.
• Track record of working collaboratively to solve sophisticated scientific problems required.
• Experience working on & leading highly matrixed, multi-disciplinary teams required.
• Experience with AI/ML and in silico toxicology modeling preferred.
• Board Certification in Toxicology preferred.
• Must be highly motivated, curious, and organized individual with a team-oriented mentality who enjoys working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, and working collaboratively across functions.
• Excellent written, visual, and oral communication skills.

The expected pay range for this position is $164,000 to $282,900.

The Company maintains highly competitive, performance-based compensation programs. Under current guidelines, this position is eligible for an annual performance bonus in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan. The annual performance bonus is a cash bonus intended to provide an incentive to achieve annual targeted results by rewarding for individual and the corporation’s performance over a calendar/ performance year. Bonuses are awarded at the Company’s discretion on an individual basis.

Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company sponsored employee benefit programs: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, business accident insurance, and group legal insurance.

Employees may be eligible to participate in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k)).

Employees are eligible for the following time off benefits:

• Vacation - up to 120 hours per calendar year
• Sick time - up to 40 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Washington - up to 56 hours per calendar year
• Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays - up to 13 days per calendar year
• Work, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 hours per calendar year

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

This job posting is anticipated to close on January 22 2025 .The Company may however extend this time-period, in which case the posting will remain available on https://www.careers.jnj.com to accept additional applications.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

Consulting, Design Mindset, Drug Discovery Development, EHS Compliance, Emergency Planning, Performance Measurement, Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), Process Optimization, Program Management, Regulatory Affairs Management, Research and Development, Risk Management, Safety Audits, Safety Investigations, Safety-Oriented, Scientific Research, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Thinking, Technical Writing

The anticipated base pay range for this position is :

$164,000.00 - $282,900.00

Additional Description for Pay Transparency:

Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k)).
This position is eligible to participate in the Company’s long-term incentive program.
Subject to the terms of their respective policies and date of hire, employees are eligible for the following time off benefits:
Vacation –120 hours per calendar year
Sick time - 40 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Colorado –48 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Washington –56 hours per calendar year
Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays –13 days per calendar year
Work, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 hours per calendar year
Parental Leave – 480 hours within one year of the birth/adoption/foster care of a child
Bereavement Leave – 240 hours for an immediate family member: 40 hours for an extended family member per calendar year
Caregiver Leave – 80 hours in a 52-week rolling period10 days
Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year
Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year
For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: - https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits