Senior Director, Neuroscience Translational Science

As the world's largest and most broadly based healthcare company, we impact more than a billion lives through the innovation happening at 260+ companies located in 60 countries around the world. Teams from Johnson & Johnson’s Medtechs are 3-D printing artificial joints personalized for each patient, while researchers in pharmaceuticals are using AI to discover lifesaving drugs. We redefine what it means to be a big company in today’s world.

**For our pharmaceutical sector, we are recruiting a **Senior Director, Neuroscience Translational Science (M/F) on a permanent contract.**

This position can either be based in Beerse (Belgium), in Springhouse (PA - USA), La Jolla, (CA - USA), Boston (MA - USA).

The role is responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight of execution to Neuroscience Translational Science, focusing on our drive for precision neuroscience using insights from biology and data sciences. This will include innovative approaches to precision discovery; utilizing human data from high dimensional molecular and other datasets and human cell models coupled to AI enhanced compound discovery together with enabling of precision development with biomarker discovery and development using platform technologies and other approaches. These approaches require leadership, co-ordination, and integration of teams from Neuroscience Discovery, Biomarkers and Data sciences together with our partner functions across the company.

The post holder will report directly to the Global Lead for Discovery and Translation but co-ordinate closely with the NS Lead for Biomarkers, developing molecular and imaging markers and the NS Lead for Data Sciences in relation to complex datasets requiring advanced analytics together with teams in other functions in the company including DPDS and data-sciences using advanced analytics including artificial intelligence, to advance drug discovery. In addition, the post-holder will work closely with the external innovation teams in sourcing datasets, collaborations and other innovations through industry and academic opportunities.

This will require excellent communication and team-work skills, an appetite for innovation and a keen attention to detail and organization. The post holder will have considerable sense of purpose and drive, mindful of the considerable unmet medical need and imperative to generate impactful therapeutics in Neuroscience and the critical importance of translation of insights from biology and data science to the vision and mission of Janssen Neuroscience

**Primary Responsibilities**

Lead for NS translation programs focusing on biology and data sciences. These include discovery programs including the use of AI enabled drug discovery and biomarker programs including the acquisition and use of very high dimensional molecular data from experimental models and human cohorts.

Will work with teams in Neuroscience and across J&J R&D functions, to establish the translational strategy in relation to the intersection of discovery and data sciences and to ensure execution of these complex inter-departmental programs. The post holder will be responsible for setting goals and objectives, timelines and deliverables as well as communications within these matrix teams as well as with the leads for NS discovery, biomarkers and data sciences, the wider NS TA and with data sciences and DPDS.

Will work closely with the Translation team to generate an integrated Translational Precision research strategy and programs embedded in most, if not all compound development

Close working with the DAS leads and CDTLs to understand the TA strategy and programs and to maximize the potential for translational research to support precision neuroscience in all discovery and development programs.

Works with Biomarker teams, compound teams and DAS teams to ensure translation of biomarker insights to utilizable tools including ensuring applicability in real world contexts necessitating attention to appropriate technology, delivery in clinical contexts, outcomes in diverse populations and ensuring appropriate analysis of data to generate information for regulatory and other approval.

Promotes consistent best practices for precision tools implementation including in Phase 0 clinical trials, supporting implementation through development and consideration of regulatory issues.

Membership of External Innovation groups relevant to translational research.

Maintains a high degree of understanding of external environment including:

- approaches to accelerate drug development using very high dimensionality data combined with advanced analytics including ML and NN.
- value of human data in precision drug development including molecular datasets and human cell models.
- essential need for biomarkers in precision medicine and the opportunities to accelerate discovery and development of high-quality biomarkers using platform technologies including both molecular and imaging and other appr