Senior Scientific Director Drug Product Development

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

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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 Global Pharmaceutical Product Development and Supply (PPDS) organization part of the Discovery Product Development and Supply (DPDS) division of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine (JJIM) is dedicated to developing advanced drug delivery solutions for our Synthetic Modalities portfolio (small molecules oligonucleotides peptides conjugates etc). Our development hubs span the US Asia and Europe and comprise a network of vibrant teams including over 200 dedicated professionals.

We are searching for a Senior Scientific Director - Drug Product Development specialized in product and process design and development for all Solid Dosage Forms based at our R&D facility in Beerse Belgium.

Purpose: As lead of the Solid Dosage Form Center of Excellence you are responsible for defining and executing the strategy for the development of solid drug products across synthetic modalities including small molecules peptides and larger macromolecules delivering patient-centric transformational therapies for patients.

In this role you will drive impact through:

• Leading a multidisciplinary team of 50 scientists building technical depth mentoring talent fostering expertise and innovation.
• Driving patient-centric product design
• Delivering scalable solutions ensuring robust manufacturable and launch-ready products for global markets.
• Ensuring quality & compliance by embedding quality-by-design and regulatory rigor throughout development.
• Accelerating development through collaboration with CMC Quality Regulatory and Supply Chain to enable timely launches and lifecycle success.

You will be responsible for:

As a key member of the Pharmaceutical Product Development and Supply Leadership team you will significantly influence the future of novel product and process development for Johnson & Johnson. Your role will entail a wide array of responsibilities including:

• Strategic Leadership
  Define and execute global strategy for solid dosage form development from Late Lead Optimization through Commercialization. Drive innovation in formulation science manufacturing technologies and digital solutions to accelerate timelines and optimize product performance.
• Scientific Leadership
  Lead design and development of solid oral dosage formstablets capsules and advanced delivery systems. Deploy conventional and emerging technologies (e.g. Continuous Manufacturing amorphous solid dispersions 3D printing) to ensure robust quality-driven formulations. Stay ahead of technological and regulatory trends.
• Portfolio Delivery
  Deliver formulation and process development for multiple development programs across all Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicines Therapeutic Areas. Ensure timely cost-effective milestones from preclinical to launch including risk mitigation scale-up tech transfer and regulatory submissions (CMC control strategies). Support lifecycle management and L&A due diligence.
• People Leadership
  Build and mentor a high-performing team. Provide technical reviews coaching and foster a culture of collaboration innovation and continuous improvement.
• Partnerships & External Engagement
  Collaborate across internal stakeholders and represent Johnson & Johnson externally in scientific forums regulatory interactions and industry partnerships. Cultivate relationships with academia technology providers and consortia.

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

Qualifications / Requirements:

We are looking for a dynamic and driven individual with a robust background in drug product formulation development in the synthetic modality space. The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and attributes:

• Education:

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences Industrial Pharmacy Chemical/Biochemical Engineering Biological or Physical Sciences or a related field with a minimum of 12-15 years of relevant industry and/or academic experience. Alternatively a Masters degree in a related discipline with at least 18 years of relevant experience.

• Technical Expertise:

End-to-end experience in solid dosage form development including formulation and process design from early-stage developability through tech transfer and commercialization.

Proficiency in conventional technologies (direct compression granulation film coating) and advanced platforms (spray drying hot melt extrusion bead coating nanotechnology) as well as drug delivery systems (ASDs nano-enabled targeted delivery).

Strong knowledge and leadership in transitioning from batch to continuous manufacturing including real-time release (RTR) and advanced control strategies.

Demonstrated ability to identify and implement novel technologies define critical quality attributes (CQAs) process parameters (CPPs) and material attributes.

• Experience & Leadership:

Proven track record of leading complex development programs and delivering commercial products.

Deep understanding of regulatory requirements (ICH FDA EMA) and quality systems.

Ability to influence and lead within global matrixed organizations.

• Core Competencies:

Excellent communication strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

Strong collaboration and networking capabilities.

Other: Willingness to travel internationally (approximately 515%).

If you are passionate about advancing the field of oral peptide development and possess the qualifications outlined we encourage you to join our team and make a meaningful impact in pharmaceutical innovation!

Requires the ability through our flexible work policy to work on-site a minimum of three days each week with the option for two remote workdays each week.

A relocation budget may be considered for the successful candidate.

This role will remain posted until 5 January 2026. Applications will be reviewed following the End-of-Year break.

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