Early Compound Development Team Leader

Location: Spring House

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 Med Tech, 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.

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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:
Clinical Development & Research - Non-MD
Job Category:
Scientific/Technology
All Job Posting Locations:
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America, Spring House, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Job Description:

Johnson & Johnson:
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.

About Cardiovascular & Metabolism (CVM)

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.

Our Cardiovascular and Metabolism team develops breakthrough treatments for diseases that burden hundreds of millions of people. Joining this team will bring your innovative talents to the forefront of preventing and managing life-threatening diseases.

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

Position Description:

The Early Compound Development Team (ECDT) Leader leads a cross-functional team responsible for advancing the strategic development of preclinical assets, with a clear line of sight to the clinic. The Early CDTL is accountable for shaping and coordinating the end-to-end early development strategy, from late discovery candidate selection for biologics and lead optimization for small molecules through IND-enabling activities and into early clinical planning.

The Early CDTL operates in alignment with company, Therapeutic Area (TA) strategies, ensuring that scientific, translational, clinical, regulatory, and commercial considerations are integrated early to address unmet medical needs and enable high-quality portfolio decisions.

In addition to asset-focused leadership, the Early CDTL may contribute to portfolio-level strategic discussions, including the evaluation of new exploratory areas, novel targets, and potential new programs, and may serve as a project leader at the portfolio or pre-program stage.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the design and execution of a robust, cross-functional early development strategy for designated preclinical compound(s), ensuring scientific rigor and clear progression toward clinical development.
• Coordinate late discovery and early development activities, including candidate selection for biologics and lead optimization for small molecules, with appropriate integration of biology, chemistry, biologics, safety, clinical, regulatory, and commercial perspectives.
• Provide strategic leadership to the Early Compound Development Team, enabling effective scientific debate, strategy development, and decision-making across functions.
• Ensure that preclinical development decisions are made with a forward-looking clinical perspective, maintaining a clear line of sight to first-in-human studies and early clinical value drivers.
• Contribute to portfolio-level evaluations, including assessment of new exploratory areas, novel targets, and potential new programs, and support prioritization and investment decisions.
• May serve as project leader at the portfolio or pre-program stage, helping to define scientific hypotheses, translational strategy, development pathways, and initial value propositions.
• Ensure effective planning to secure resources required for early development activities, including development planning, prioritization, and budget-related discussions, while proactively identifying and addressing key scientific and operational risks.
• Champion assigned projects within the organization while maintaining a portfolio and enterprise mindset.
• Facilitate alignment across stakeholders and governance forums to support efficient progression from preclinical development into clinical development.

Minimum Qualification

• Doctoral degree in life…