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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:

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

Position Summary

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is recruiting for a Director, DISSO — Dissolution and In Vitro Release Sciences, Simulations and Optimization, located in Beerse, Belgium.

The Director will lead the DISSO team within Synthetics Analytical Development. The team plays a critical role in developing, validating, transferring, and applying dissolution and in vitro release methods to support Drug Product Research & Development across the synthetic portfolio, from early development through registration and commercial lifecycle support.

This role requires a strong scientific and people leader with deep expertise in dissolution science, biopharmaceutics-relevant testing, analytical control strategy, laboratory operations, and product performance understanding. The successful candidate will provide strategic and scientific direction to the DISSO organization, ensure a state-of-the-art and cGMP-compliant laboratory environment, and strengthen interfaces across Analytical Development, Drug Product Research & Development, Chemical Process R&D, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Supply Chain, and the AD India organization.

As a member of the Analytical Development Leadership Team, the Director will contribute to shaping the future strategy, capabilities, talent base, operating model, and culture of Synthetics Analytical Development. The role will also build and align DISSO strategies with the AD India team, where late-stage dissolution and analytical activities are executed under the leadership of the AD India lead.

The role includes accountability for leading a team of approximately 30 J&J employees, supported by contractor resources, and for ensuring effective stewardship of people, laboratory capabilities, and financial resources, including FTE planning, OPEX, CAPEX, and out-of-pocket investments required to maintain a state-of-the-art, cGMP-compliant DISSO laboratory and enable delivery of the synthetic portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the DISSO team and provide scientific, strategic, operational, and people leadership for dissolution and in vitro release sciences within Synthetics Analytical Development.
• Lead a sizeable scientific organization, including approximately 30 J&J employees, supported by contractor resources. Provide clear scientific direction, people leadership, resource prioritization, and capability development across the DISSO organization.
• Serve as a member of the Analytical Development Leadership Team, contributing to the future direction, organizational strategy, talent development, capability agenda, and operating model of Synthetics Analytical Development.
• Define and drive dissolution strategies across the synthetic drug product portfolio, ensuring phase-appropriate, scientifically sound, and regulatory-compliant approaches from early development through registration and lifecycle management.
• Build and align DISSO strategies with the AD India team, ensuring clear interfaces, effective knowledge transfer, and robust execution of late-stage dissolution and analytical activities under the leadership of the AD India lead.
• Ensure state-of-the-art laboratory capabilities and cGMP compliance, including robust laboratory practices, inspection readiness, equipment strategy, data integrity, method execution quality, and continuous modernization of dissolution and in vitro release testing platforms.
• Own resource and budget accountability for the DISSO organization, including effective management of FTE resources, contractor support, OPEX, CAPEX, and out-of-pocket spend. Ensure resources and investments are prioritized against portfolio needs, scientific capability building, laboratory modernization, compliance expectations, and the long-term strategy of Synthetics Analytical Development.
• Oversee development, validation, transfer, and lifecycle management of dissolution and in vitro release methods used for formulation development, product understanding, release, stability, comparability, and control strategy.
• Ensure strong integration with key partner functions, including Drug Product Research & Development, Chemical Process R&D, Analytical Development teams, Scientific Integration, Regulatory CMC, Quality, Clinical Supply, and Innovative Medicine Supply Chain.
• Strengthen the scientific basis of drug product performance testing, including the use of biorelevant dissolution methods, discriminating methods, dissolution mechanisms, automation, modeling, simulation, and data-driven approaches.
• Support regulatory submissions and health authority interactions, including the development and defense of dissolution strategies, control strategies, method robustness, product performance-related justifications, and lifecycle management approaches.
• Build and evolve DISSO capabilities, including automation, modeling, simulation, data analytics, innovative dissolution technologies, and future-ready laboratory platforms to increase efficiency, scientific insight, and speed of portfolio delivery.
• Develop talent and organizational capabilities by coaching scientists, building technical depth, creating growth opportunities, and fostering a high-performing, inclusive, collaborative, and accountable team culture.
• Drive operational excellence within the DISSO organization, ensuring clear priorities, efficient resource allocation, strong project execution, laboratory reliability, compliance, and high-quality delivery across the portfolio.
• Represent DISSO and Analytical Development in cross-functional governance, scientific forums, portfolio discussions, regulatory strategy discussions, external collaborations, and relevant internal leadership teams.
• Develop talent and organizational capabilities by coaching scientists, building technical depth, creating growth opportunities, and fostering a high-performing, inclusive, collaborative, and accountable team culture.
• Drive operational excellence within the DISSO organization, ensuring clear priorities, efficient resource allocation, strong project execution, laboratory reliability, compliance, and high-quality delivery across the portfolio.
• Represent DISSO and Analytical Development in cross-functional governance, scientific forums, portfolio discussions, regulatory strategy discussions, external collaborations, and relevant internal leadership teams.

Qualifications

Required

• Advanced degree in pharmaceutical sciences, analytical chemistry, biopharmaceutics, chemical engineering, physical chemistry, or a related scientific discipline. PhD or equivalent experience preferred.
• Typically 10+ years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical development, analytical development, dissolution science, in vitro release testing, drug product performance testing, biopharmaceutics, or related scientific areas.
• Demonstrated experience leading scientific teams, developing people, and managing complex technical portfolios in a regulated R&D environment.
• Strong understanding of Drug Product Research & Development, analytical control strategies, method development and validation, regulatory expectations, cGMP requirements, and CMC requirements across clinical development and registration.
• Experience with laboratory operations, compliance expectations, inspection readiness, data integrity, and continuous improvement in a regulated pharmaceutical environment.
• Proven ability to work across functions and organizational boundaries, with strong collaboration across analytical, formulation, process, regulatory, quality, supply chain, and global site teams.
• Experience contributing to regulatory submissions, responses to health authorities, or scientific justifications supporting pharmaceutical development.
• Ability to translate complex scientific topics into clear strategic direction, actionable plans, and effective communication for senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated resource and budget stewardship, including prioritization of people, laboratory, operational, contractor, and investment needs.
• Strong leadership behaviors, including accountability, collaboration, talent development, scientific curiosity, and decision-making in a matrix environment.

Preferred

• Deep expertise in dissolution and in vitro release method development, including biorelevant dissolution, discriminatory method development, method robustness, and product performance understanding.
• Experience with oral solid dosage forms, enabling formulations, amorphous solid dispersions, modified release systems, peptides, or other advanced formulation platforms.
• Experience with modeling, simulation, automation, high-throughput screening, design of experiments, or data analytics applied to dissolution or drug product performance testing.
• Experience leading regulatory-facing analytical strategies for global submissions.
• Experience managing or contributing to FTE planning, OPEX, CAPEX, laboratory investments, equipment strategy, contractor support, and external spend prioritization.
• Track record of building scientific capabilities, driving innovation, and improving ways of working across teams.
• Experience in external scientific engagement, industry consortia, academic collaborations, or publication/presentation of scientific work.

Leadership Expectations

• Set a clear scientific vision for DISSO aligned with portfolio needs and long-term organizational capability building.
• Contribute as an active member of the Analytical Development Leadership Team and help shape the future of Synthetics Analytical Development.
• Build strong interfaces across Synthetics Development, AD India, TDS, and the broader J&J Innovative Medicine network.
• Make science- and risk-based decisions that balance quality, speed, compliance, resource investment, and patient impact.
• Ensure a modern, reliable, and cGMP-compliant laboratory environment that supports current portfolio delivery and future capability needs.
• Develop and empower talent, creating a strong pipeline of future scientific leaders.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and externally aware team environment.
• Communicate with clarity, credibility, and impact across scientific, technical, operational, and leadership audiences.

About the Team

• DISSO — Dissolution and In Vitro Release Sciences, Simulations and Optimization — is part of Synthetics Analytical Development within Therapeutics Development & Supply. The team is responsible for generating scientific understanding of dissolution and in vitro release behavior, developing robust and phase-appropriate methods, supporting drug product and process development, and enabling control strategies across the product lifecycle.
• The team contributes to portfolio delivery by connecting analytical science, formulation performance, product understanding, laboratory execution, and regulatory strategy. DISSO also plays an important role in advancing new capabilities in modeling, automation, and innovative dissolution technologies to support the future needs of the synthetic portfolio.

#DPDS

 

 

Required Skills:

 

 

Preferred Skills:

  

 

The anticipated base pay range for this position is:

€119,200.00 - €204,355.00

 

 

Benefits:

In addition to base pay, we offer the following benefits*: an annual bonus with set target (% of pay) depending on pay grade / location, where the actual amount is based on the employees’ and companies’ performance of the previous calendar year, or sales commissions. Moreover, we offer vacation days, parental leave for a minimum of 12 weeks, bereavement leave, caregiver leave, volunteer leave, well-being reimbursement, programs for financial, physical and mental health. We also offer service anniversary and recognition awards, and subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees - and in some location’s eligible dependents - can participate in several insurance plans. For more information, visit Employee benefits | Supporting well-being & career growth | Johnson & Johnson Careers.

 

*This is for informative purposes only. Amounts and actual benefits may vary by location and are subject to change.