Scientific Director – Parenterals & Liquids Development

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:

Discovery & Pre-Clinical/Clinical Development

Job Sub Function:

Pharmaceutical Product R&D

Job Category:

People Leader

All Job Posting Locations:

Beerse, Antwerp, Belgium

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

The Global Pharmaceutical Product Development and Supply (PPDS) organization, part of the Discovery, Product Development and Supply (DPDS) division of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine (JJIM), is dedicated to developing advanced drug delivery solutions for our Synthetic Modalities portfolio (small molecules, oligonucleotides, peptides, conjugates, etc). Our development hubs span the US, Asia, and Europe, and comprise a network of vibrant teams including over 200 dedicated professionals.

We are searching for a Scientific Director - Parenterals & Liquids Development, specialized in product and process design and development for parenteral and liquid dosage forms, based at our R&D facility in Beerse, Belgium.

Purpose

As lead of the Parenterals & Liquids Development (PLD) organization, you are responsible for defining and executing the strategy for the development of liquid and parenteral drug products across synthetic modalities-delivering patient‑centric and scalable therapies from late discovery through commercialization and lifecycle management.

In this role, you will drive impact through:

• Leading a multidisciplinary team, building technical depth, mentoring talent, fostering expertise and innovation.
• Driving patient-centric product design
• Delivering scalable solutions, ensuring robust, manufacturable, and launch-ready products for global markets.
• Ensuring quality & compliance by embedding quality-by-design and regulatory rigor throughout development.
• Accelerating development through collaboration with CMC, Quality, Regulatory, and Supply Chain to enable timely launches and lifecycle success.

You will be responsible for:

As a key member of the Pharmaceutical Product Development and Supply Leadership Team, you will significantly influence the future of parenteral and liquid drug product development at Johnson & Johnson. Your role will entail a wide array of responsibilities, including:

• Strategic Leadership
  Define and execute the global strategy for parenteral and liquid dosage form development from Late Lead Optimization through Commercialization. Drive innovation in formulation science, processing technologies, and advanced drug delivery platforms to optimize product performance, maximize IP value, and accelerate development timelines.
• Scientific Leadership
  Lead the design and development of non‑sterile liquids and parenteral drug products across synthetic modalities (small molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides). Ensure strong scientific ownership of formulation and process development, clinically relevant design, risk mitigation, and robust control strategies. Stay ahead of scientific and regulatory trends.
• Portfolio Delivery
  Deliver timely, phase appropriate formulation and process development for multiple programs across Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicines therapeutic areas. Ensure successful progression from preclinical development through clinical supply, regulatory submissions, technology transfer, and launch. Support lifecycle management and L&A due diligence activities.
• People Leadership
  Build, lead, and mentor a high‑performing, diverse team. Provide technical reviews, coaching, and career development, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Partnerships & External Engagement
  Collaborate across internal stakeholders and represent Johnson & Johnson externally in scientific forums, regulatory interactions, and industry partnerships. Cultivate relationships with academia, CDMOs, technology providers, and consortia.

Join us in this exciting role to help shape the future of pharmaceutical innovations and enhance patient therapies!

Qualifications / Requirements:

We are looking for a dynamic and driven individual with a robust background in drug product formulation and process development in the synthetic modality space. The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and attributes:

• Education:
  Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical/Biochemical Engineering, Chemistry or a related discipline with a minimum of 12-15 years of relevant industry and/or academic experience in pharmaceutical development. Alternatively, a Master's degree in a related discipline with at least 18 years of relevant experience.
   
• Technical Expertise
  End‑to‑end experience in formulation and process development of parenteral and liquid drug products for synthetic modalities including but not limited to small molecules, peptides, hetero-bifunctionals, oligonucleotides, from early‑stage developability through technology transfer and commercialization. Strong expertise in formulation design, process scale‑up, and advanced drug delivery approaches including but not limited to nano-and microsuspensions, biodegradable microspheres and implants, liposomes, micelles, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), lipid based formulations (LBF) etc... Demonstrated ability to define critical quality attributes (CQAs), process parameters, and robust control strategies aligned with regulatory expectations.
   
• Experience & Leadership
  Proven track record of leading complex development programs and delivering clinical and/or commercial products.
  Deep understanding of global regulatory requirements (ICH, FDA, EMA) and quality systems.
  Ability to influence and lead effectively within a global, matrixed organization.
   
• Core Competencies
  Excellent communication, strategic thinking, and problem‑solving skills.
  Strong collaboration, stakeholder‑management, and scientific leadership capabilities.

Other: Willingness to travel internationally (approximately 5-15%).

 

 

Required Skills:

 

 

Preferred Skills:

Budget Management, Business Savvy, Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control (CMC), Clinical Trial Protocols, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Data Governance, Developing Others, Drug Discovery Development, Inclusive Leadership, Industry Analysis, Interdisciplinary Work, Leadership, Market Research, Process Improvements, Product Development, Product Strategies, Risk Management Framework, Scientific Research