Scientific Director, Neuroimmunology Discovery

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The Neuroimmunology Discovery team within Janssen Neuroscience Therapeutic Area is seeking a Scientific Director, with expertise in Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation to be based in San Diego, CA (preferred) or Spring House, PA.

The Scientific Director will drive innovation, contribute to target identification and validation in neuroimmunology discovery research, lead drug discovery projects to address unmet needs in neurology, neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases, with a focus on dysregulated neuroimmune system. This individual will be an experienced drug hunter with deep subject matter expertise in innate/adaptive immunology or in interrogating role of microglial dysfunction in CNS diseases. Success must be demonstrated by impactful contributions to drug discovery projects and/or high impact publications in these scientific areas.

The successful candidate will be part of neuroimmunology senior staff and will play a role in refining and implementing strategy to identify and prosecute novel therapeutic approaches. The candidate will also be responsible for establishing collaborations with world-class academic and clinical thought leaders around neuroimmunology/neuroinflammation, to access state of the art expertise and technologies that may drive innovative approaches to drug discovery. He/she will have a balance of deep technical background, exceptional communication and collaboration skills and an excellent ability to build relationships. He/she will work within a strong matrixed environment with colleagues within the Neuroscience therapeutic area and other functional areas within Janssen. He/she will partner with our Innovation Centers and Business Development to explore external opportunities and will participate in internal and external meetings to enhance the value of neuroimmune portfolio.

• Generating experimental data and drive projects with a goal of clinical candidate identification (small molecules, biologics and other modalities).
• Shaping drug discovery strategy in neuroimmunology/neuroinflammation.
• Managing people and projects, and represent the neuroimmunology leadership team.
• Participating in team/project meetings across different geographical time zones (US and Europe) is essential to be successful in this role.

• PhD in Immunology, Neuroscience, or interdisciplinary biology with several years (> 10-15 years) of highly productive and demonstrated drug discovery experience in neuroimmunology/neuroinflammation is required.
• Significant accomplishments in neuroimmunology research in neuropsychiatry, neurology or neurodegeneration, with a strong record of publications and patents, is required. Prior industry experience is a plus.
• Significant contributions in advancing discovery projects to early clinical development and/or late development will be highly valuable asset and will be preferred.
• Experience in working in multidisciplinary teams, fostering internal and external collaboration is required. The candidate must be able to translate ideas to actionable science, and lead from the front in our combined quest to bring medicines to patients suffering from neuroinflammatory disorders of the brain.
• Deep research experience in microglial biology with a focus on understanding genetically linked dysfunctional microglial signaling in disease biology is preferred. Application of neuroimmunology in microglial pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, and/or neuropsychiatric disorders, must be demonstrated. Ability to study microglia (primary, iPSC) in a dish, and modeling microglial activation/inflammation or manipulating microglial targets towards understanding fundamental disease biology is also welcome.
• Sufficient knowledge in pharmacology (PK-PD) to support neuroimmunology drug discovery projects.
• Have a broad understanding of prosecuting drug targets, managing people and projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to translate data into project relevance as part of anticipating and/or mitigating project challenges is a desired skill set. Ability to integrate data from multiple sources into a rational understanding of drug discovery is critical to be successful in this role.
• Good communication, good people and team management are essential skills for the position.

Johnson & Johnson is an Affirmative Action and 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, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.