SENIOR PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENTIST

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:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

Beerse, Antwerp, Belgium

Job Description:

Johnson & Johnson is currently seeking a SENIOR PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENTIST to join our DISCOVERY PHARMACEUTICS/PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & SUPPLY located in BEERSE.

About Johnson & Johnson

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/. Join our team and contribute to the development of the most innovative therapeutics that can significantly impact the lives of patients worldwide.

Discovery Pharmaceutics is a dynamic function that continuously conducts independent and collaborative research to address evolving therapeutic modalities and drug delivery opportunities, ensuring we remain at the forefront of pharmaceutical science and technology. We are expanding our capacity to innovate while supporting early drug discovery programs from Hit‑to‑Lead through the identification and selection of clinical assets. In this role, you will independently drive and contribute to research activities while serving as a core member of cross‑functional project teams, collaborating closely with partners in chemistry, biology, pharmacokinetics, and pre‑clinical safety to enable informed molecule design and developability decisions.

Your Impact:

In this role, you will:

• Influence molecular design by providing experimental and intellectual input on physical properties and how these properties affect formulation and delivery options
• Leverage digital tools, data analytics, and computational approaches to enhance interpretation of experimental data, support developability assessments, and improve the quality and speed of decision‑making in Discovery programs.
• Generate data through hands‑on laboratory work and in silico approaches to support decision‑making
• Guide drug delivery and formulation strategy for discovery molecules and lead candidates, identifying patient‑centric and fit‑for‑purpose solutions to address developability challenges
• Contribute pharmaceutics and developability expertise to drug candidate selection decisions
• Collaborate with Development partners and provide recommendations on formulation strategies and solid form selection for toxicological studies and First‑in‑Human clinical trials

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. degree (2–6 years’ experience), M.S. degree (4–10 years’ experience), or B.S. degree (>8 years’ demonstrated ability) in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Industrial Pharmacy, Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline
• Solid understanding of physical and pharmaceutical chemistry principles
• Strong understanding of physicochemical properties of drug molecules and their impact on formulation and delivery
• Demonstrated digital know‑how and aptitude, including effective use of data analysis, modeling, or computational tools to support scientific problem‑solving and evidence‑based decisions
• Proven ability to translate scientific concepts into practical, fit‑for‑purpose solutions
• Ability to design and conduct laboratory experiments independently
• Ability to independently define and drive scientific research, including development of research proposals and translation of outcomes into discovery decisions.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate scientific rationale and recommendations

Preferred experience:

• Novel drug delivery approaches, data analytics, or pharmacokinetics
• Design and development of formulation concepts for preclinical studies across multiple routes of administration
• Experience with physicochemical and solid‑state characterization techniques (e.g., DVS, DSC, TGA, PXRD, UPLC, mass spectrometry) and interpretation of stability and solubility data
• Familiarity with pre‑formulation activities and physicochemical characterization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)
• Track record of scientific contributions, including peer‑reviewed publications, patents, and/or scientific presentations

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

Johnson & Johnson is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants that meet the job requirements 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 based on disability.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

Coaching, Collaborating, Critical Thinking, Drug Discovery Development, Goal Attainment, Market Research, Organizing, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutical Trends, Product Development, Product Strategies, Report Writing, Research Documents, Research Proposals, Scientific Research, Standard Scientific Processes and Procedures, Technologically Savvy

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