Distinguished Scientist. Nonclinical Safety Leader

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 164,000 - 283,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation – 120 hours per year

Sick time – 40 hours per year

Parental Leave – 480 hours

Volunteer Leave – 32 hours

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine in Cambridge, MA / Spring House, PA seeks a Distinguished Scientist, Nonclinical Safety Leader to guide toxicology strategies across discovery and development. You will lead cross-functional teams, nominate candidate molecules, and drive safety assessments to enable clinical progression and regulatory approvals.

The role emphasizes leadership, collaboration, and strategic influence within PSTS, with a hybrid work arrangement and broad modality exposure.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years in pharma/biotech with Master’s, or 10+ years with PhD/MD.
• Proven experience representing toxicology on multi-disciplinary project teams.
• Strong understanding of the drug discovery and development process.
• Board certification (DABT) preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication; ability to collaborate across levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead PSTS project teams of nonclinical safety and PK scientists.
• Provide strategic toxicology leadership for global project teams.
• Create target risk assessments and develop mitigation plans.
• Contribute to issue-resolution with investigative strategies.
• Oversee global regulatory nonclinical documents and health authority responses.
• Engage in medical safety teams and risk mitigation activities.
• Collaborate with CMC to assure drug substance quality.
• Maintain knowledge of regulatory landscapes and readouts for projects.

Skills

Toxicology expertise

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory affairs knowledge

Excellent communication

Mentorship

Education

Master’s degree in Toxicology or Pharmacology

Doctoral degree preferred (PhD/MD/DVM)

Job description

At Johnson & Johnson,we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build aworld where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured,where treatments are smarter and less invasive, andsolutions 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

Nonclinical Safety

Job Category

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations

Cambridge, Massachusetts, 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

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine R&D is recruiting for a Distinguished Scientist, Nonclinical Safety Leader within Preclinical Sciences and Translational Safety (PSTS). This position is a hybrid role and can be located in Spring House, PA or Cambridge, MA.

As a Distinguished Scientist, Nonclinical Safety (NCS) Leader, you will collaborate with innovative and diverse scientists to support projects in our large and varied portfolio that spans multiple therapeutic areas and includes innovative modalities. In this vital role you will provide toxicology leadership for all aspects of discovery and development projects, with flexibility to specialize or work across stages of development, therapy areas, and modalities. You will also collaborate with discovery scientists to identify and nominate candidate molecules, and with development teams to bring these molecules to humans and ultimately through global registration.

Principal Responsibilities

• Lead PSTS project teams of nonclinical safety and Pharmacokinetic (PK) scientists, ensuring efficient information transfer within the team and interfacing with senior management.
• Serve as NCS representative for global project teams, providing strategic leadership, toxicology expertise, and matrix leadership to ensure high-quality, data-driven decisions that enable efficient progression of portfolio assets from target assessment through commercialization.
• Create target risk assessments and develop plans to screen for and mitigate potential risks; analyze toxicology and safety pharmacology studies, contextualizing results for human safety and preparing nonclinical safety assessments.
• Contribute to issue-resolution teams by generating hypotheses and investigative strategies.
• Accountable for global regulatory nonclinical documents and health authority responses to support clinical trials and compound registrations.
• Participate in medical safety teams, signal detection analyses, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Engage in nonclinical safety risk assessments for due diligence of potential Licensing and Acquisition (L&A) opportunities.
• Collaborate proactively with Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) functions to assure drug substance quality.
• Actively participate in external academic or industry societies and consortia to enhance toxicology strategies and capabilities.
• Maintain scientific depth and knowledge in competitive intelligence and regulatory landscapes for assigned projects.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders, including regulatory authorities, leveraging drug development experience.
• Provide leadership and mentorship within the PSTS organization.
• Lead strategic initiatives as required.
• This role may have future-facing people leadership responsibilities, as needed.

Qualifications

• A minimum of a Master’s degree in Toxicology, Pharmacology or a related discipline is required. Doctoral level degree (PhD, DVM, MD or equivalent) in Toxicology, Pharmacology or related discipline is preferred.
• A minimum of 15 years of relevant pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience with a Master’s degree or a minimum of 10 years of relevant pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience with a doctoral level degree (PhD, DVM, MD or equivalent) is required.
• Proven experience in representing toxicology/nonclinical safety on multi-disciplinary project teams is required.
• Strong understanding of the drug discovery and development process is required.
• Experience in conducting due diligence activities is preferred.
• Previous experience as a Study Director/Study Monitor under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) regulations is preferred.
• Familiarity with diverse and emerging/specialized therapeutic modalities is preferred.
• Board certification (e.g. Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT)) is preferred.
• Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.
• The ability to collaborate with all levels in a cross-functional team 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.

Required 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

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.

Benefits

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