Executive Director – Discovery, Oncology

Johnson & Johnson

Executive Director leading Oncology discovery and research strategy at Johnson & Johnson. Managing teams and scientific collaboration for cancer therapeutic innovations.

Posted 7/7/2026full-timeBeerse • Massachusetts, Pennsylvania • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $196,000 - $342,700 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Leads a global group of approximately 20-40 people (including regular FTEs, temporary contractors and postdoctoral fellows), guiding their science with an emphasis on scientific quality and rigor.
In partnership with Oncology leadership, including TA head, clinical, strategic and functional leaders, defines the scientific strategy for the TA and develops a portfolio of assets for solid cancer indications.
As a Disease Area Stronghold discovery leader executes on the strategy for the end-to-end Oncology portfolio.
Creates an environment that values innovation, leadership, scientific excellence, urgency, and personal accountability.
Manages resource allocations across programs, included shared resources across labs.
Proactively influences across functional areas and external partners to align project activities with strategic goals.
Establishes internal and external collaborations to facilitate execution of Discovery strategy.
Partners with external collaborators and innovation centers to evaluate and discover new approaches, technologies, and targets in support of the Oncology portfolio.
Partners with business development to evaluate external assets and bring new molecules into the pipeline.
Runs collaborations with both academic and industry partners.
Provides management oversight including personal talent development, training, coaching and guidance to discovery scientists.
Ensures compliance with all J&J training, while ensuring safe laboratory working practices for self and reports.
Ensures consistent experiments/data generation for target validation and progression through discovery stages.
Oversee and influence the initiation and the progression of multiple small and large molecules as well as cell therapy discovery research programs that result in the identification of Clinical Candidates.
Set and execute the scientific strategy for solid tumor indication(s).
Act as an ambassador for the respective Discovery Portfolio with frequent interactions with senior internal and external stakeholders.
Demonstrate excellent managerial skills to enable his/her global team to deliver on their objectives and to develop their careers.
Provide input on hiring, promotions, resources and budget allocations within the department.
Direct the proper use and implementation for new technology to establish long-term research plans.
Identify novel scenarios and nascent scientific/technical opportunities in a specific scientific area.
Communicate overall strategy of the projects to others including senior leadership.
Build collaborative relationships with and influence key stakeholders; internally and externally.
Create a high-performance work environment that values innovation, leadership, scientific excellence, urgency, and personal accountability.
Attract and cultivate talent.

Requirements

What you’ll need

PhD with deep content knowledge in Oncology.
15+ years of demonstrated leadership and drug discovery experience in the area of Oncology, preferably in solid malignancies.
Solid background in drug discovery across modalities (small, large molecules, cell therapy), including immune therapies.
Background in cellular, molecular and/or immune tumor biology with a good understanding of the therapeutic landscape in Oncology.
Strong record of leading programs to the identification of Clinical Candidates.
Strong track record of publications in the field.
Broad scope of impact beyond individual projects, eg leading research platforms, target classes, etc.
Strong external network and recognized as an expert in the field by peers.
Demonstrated competence for team leadership and/or people skills to manage a team with members in different continents.
Leading or being part of a significant organization change.
Heavy influencing across organization boundaries and without direct authority.
Enterprise thinking.
Detail-oriented as well as being able to see the big picture.
Excellent oral and written communication skills; able to effectively present scientific data and concepts to international standards.
Ability to attract and develop talent.

Benefits

Comp & perks

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 period
Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year
Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Drug DiscoveryClinical Candidate IdentificationCell TherapyImmune TherapiesOncology Therapeutic LandscapeTarget ValidationResearch Strategy DevelopmentData GenerationScientific PublicationsRegulatory Compliance

Soft Skills

Team LeadershipInfluencing Without AuthorityTalent DevelopmentCollaborationDetail-Oriented