Early Compound Development Team Leader

This job is with Johnson & Johnson, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

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 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 humanity. Learn more at jnj.com

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 sciences, chemistry, or medicine preferred, with a minimum of 10 years of experience in drug discovery.
• Strong background in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and age‑related pathogenic processes in the metabolic space, with demonstrated understanding of disease biology, mechanisms of action, and translational pathways.
• Demonstrated experience in early drug development or late discovery environments, with the ability to lead cross‑functional scientific and strategic discussions and a track record of delivering results, ideally in a project leadership role. Operational and project management experience to coordinate complex, matrixed teams and contribute to planning and budget discussions.

Other Requirements

• Deep understanding of disease biology and emerging therapeutic development paradigms relevant to early development.
• Matrix leadership: ability to lead teams through governance forums and balance project‑level needs with portfolio priorities.
• Strategic agility: ability to translate scientific hypotheses into actionable development strategies while managing ambiguity and incomplete data.
• Strong communication skills to influence, align, and build consensus across cross‑functional teams and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results in complex, highly collaborative environments.
• Track record of delivering results for complex projects, extensive collaborative partnership and implementing new ideas in response/anticipation to new challenges.
• 15% Travel Domestic and International.

Key Working Relationships

Internal: Therapeutic Area Leadership, Functional Leadership, chemistry biologics, preclinical safety and Translational Sciences, Clinical Development and Clinical Pharmacology, Regulatory Affairs, Alliance Management, Commercial, Portfolio, and Business Development. Functional and Governance Leadership

External: Academic and Industry Collaborators, KOL, CROs, development partners

Johnson & Johnson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Johnson and Johnson is committed to providing an interview process that is inclusive of our applicants' needs. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, please email the Employee Health Support Center ([email protected]) or contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

Required Skills

Preferred Skills:

Clinical Evaluations, Clinical Trial Protocols, Consulting, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Design Mindset, Drug Discovery Development, Entrepreneurship, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Lateral Leadership, Medicines and Device Development and Regulation, Program Management, Regulatory Affairs Management, Relationship Building, Safety-Oriented, Scientific Research, Strategic Change, Study Management

The anticipated base pay range for this position is :

$196,000.00 - $342,700.00

Additional Description For Pay Transparency

Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees are eligible to participate in the Company's consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k)).

This position is eligible to participate in the Company's long-term incentive program.

Benefits

Subject to the terms of their respective policies and date of hire, employees are eligible for the following time off benefits:

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 period10 days

Volunteer Leave - 32 hours per calendar year

Military Spouse Time-Off - 80 hours per calendar year

For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: -