Director, Protein Sciences
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine R&D is recruiting for a Director, Protein Sciences. This position is a hybrid role and can be located in Spring House, PA or Cambridge, MA.
The Director will integrate target biology insight, computational protein design, cell engineering, and experimental protein sciences to drive the generation of high-quality immunogens and screening reagents for hit generation campaigns.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. required in Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Protein Engineering or related field.
- Minimum 10 years in biologics discovery or protein sciences.
- Demonstrated leadership in pharma/biotech; strong strategic and communication skills.
Responsibilities
- Lead evaluation of therapeutic targets: analyze structure, sequence, and domain architecture; integrate internal/external data.
- Define antigen and engineered-cell design strategies for antibody discovery: construct design, domain selection, epitope exposure, and multi-target strategies.
- Apply computational and structural biology approaches to protein design: homology modeling, structural analysis, and rational mutagenesis; leverage AI/ML tools.
- Engineer proteins to improve stability, expression, and functional relevance for discovery assays and immunization.
- Collaborate across discovery teams to drive impact in a fast-paced matrix environment; contribute strategically and hands-on.
Skills
Education
Job description
Target Assessment and Antigen Strategy
Discovery & Pre-Clinical/Clinical Development
Biotherapeutics R&D
People Leader
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America, Spring House, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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
Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine R&D is recruiting for a Director, Protein Sciences. This position is a hybrid role and can be located in Spring House, PA or Cambridge, MA.
The Director, Protein Sciences will integrate target biology insight, computational protein design, cell engineering, and experimental protein sciences to drive the generation of high-quality immunogens and screening reagents. As a key member in the Antibody Discovery Group, this position will play a central role in evaluating novel protein targets, including mining and interpreting public-domain data, and applying innovative structural and computational tools to inform antigen design strategies and deliver reagents for hit generation campaigns.
The Director will contribute to multiple aspects of antibody discovery in a globally-integrated research environment, with responsibility spanning from early target assessment through reagent generation and discovery enablement. This role represents a critical function within a dynamic Biologics Discovery organization committed to delivering next-generation biotherapeutics to patients.
We are seeking a scientifically thorough and collaborative leader who can work across discovery teams to drive impact across a diverse portfolio of innovative drug concepts. Success will require the ability to operate effectively within a highly coordinated, fast-paced environment, while contributing both strategically and hands-on to program advancement.
Target Assessment and Antigen Strategy
- Structural, sequence, and domain architecture analysis
- Integration of internal and external data (literature, databases, structural repositories)
- Construct design and domain selection
- Epitope exposure and conformational state optimization
- Strategies for difficult targets (e.g., multi-pass membrane proteins) including Nanodisc technology and nucleic acid immunogen design
- Homology modeling, structural analysis, and rational mutagenesis
- Integration of emerging AI/ML-based protein design tools
- Stability and expression
- Functional relevance for discovery assays and immunization
- A minimum of a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Protein Engineering, or a related discipline is required.
- A minimum of 10 years of experience in biologics discovery or protein sciences is required.
- Demonstrated leadership experience within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry is required.
- Strong knowledge in the following is required: antigen design and generation for antibody discovery; structural biology and protein sequence analysis; biologics discovery workflows from target to lead identification.
- Experience or domain knowledge in Oncology, Immunology, and/or Neuroscience is preferred.
- People management experience is preferred.
- Must have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Must be strategic with a strong scientific mindset.
- The ability to operate effectively within a highly coordinated, fast-paced matrix environment is required.
Johnson & Johnson is an 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, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Johnson & Johnson is committed to providing an interview process that is inclusive of our applicants’ needs. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers, internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.
Analytical Reasoning, Biochemistry, Business Savvy, Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control (CMC), Clinical Research and Regulations, Clinical Trial Designs, Compliance Management, Developing Others, Drug Discovery Development, Inclusive Leadership, Leadership, Molecular Diagnostics, Operational Excellence, Pharmacovigilance, Process Improvements, Productivity Planning, Product Strategies, Program Management, Scientific Research, Stakeholder Management
$164,000.00 - $282,900.00
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.
- 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
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