Pharmaceutical Scientist, Peptides – Discovery Pharmaceutics Full-time

Pharmaceutical Scientist, Peptides – Discovery Pharmaceutics

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.

We are searching for the best talent for a Pharmaceutical Scientist, Peptides – Discovery Pharmaceutics to join Discovery Pharmaceutics/Pharmaceutical Product Development & Supply located in Beerse, Belgium (fully onsite). Join us to build the next generation of peptide pharmaceutics capabilities—where rigorous experimentation, quantitative thinking, and cross-disciplinary collaboration directly shape the molecules that reach patients.

Purpose:

Discovery Pharmaceutics is a dynamic function that continuously conducts independent and collaborative research to address evolving therapeutic modalities and drug delivery opportunities, ensuring we remain at the forefront of pharmaceutical science and technology. Building on the success of Icotyde™, we are strengthening our peptide research program to accelerate discovery-to-development translation—combining direct project support with purposeful capability building. We partner from Hit-to-Lead through candidate selection to (1) enable optimal molecule design and selection through structure–property understanding and decision-quality developability data, and (2) advance rational formulation design by developing fit-for-purpose assays, experimental workflows, and interpretation frameworks for peptide stability, solubility, solid-state behaviour, and delivery-enabling strategies.

As a core member of cross-functional teams, the Pharmaceutical Scientist, Peptides – Discovery Pharmaceutics will collaborate closely with Chemistry, Biology, DMPK, Safety, and Development to advance differentiated medicines from discovery into development.

You will be responsible for:

• Shaping molecule design by translating structure–property relationships into actionable guidance (e.g., ionization, lipophilicity, aggregation, solid-state behavior) and clarifying how these govern formulation and delivery options.
• Driving selection of patient-centric delivery concepts for peptide assets, proposing novel formulation strategies to overcome key barriers (e.g., solubility, stability, permeability, enzymatic degradation, manufacturability).
• Contributing to candidate selection by integrating pharmaceutics, developability, and biophysical data into clear decision narratives and risk registers.
• Partnering with Development to define stage-appropriate formulation strategy (e.g., enabling formulations for tox and First-in-Human), including solid form considerations, stability strategy, and comparability-thinking from the start.
• Generating high-quality data through hands-on experimentation and quantitative analysis (wet lab and in silico), with reproducible methods, well-structured datasets, and scientifically defensible interpretation.

We are looking for a scientifically curious, hypothesis-driven researcher with a strong foundation in peptide (and/or other beyond-rule-of-5 modality) physicochemical principles. You enjoy turning ambiguity into experiments, connecting mechanistic understanding to practical formulation strategy, and working in collaborative teams that move quickly without compromising scientific rigor.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Ph.D. (0–3 years) in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Industrial Pharmacy, Chemical/Biochemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in peptide physicochemical characterization and/or formulation design!
• Track record of translating scientific ideas into practical experiments and recommendations; comfortable iterating based on data and uncertainty.
• Strong scientific communication skills (clear experimental rationale, rigorous data storytelling, concise written documentation).
• Ability to design and execute laboratory experiments safely and independently, including troubleshooting and method development where needed.
• Solid grounding in physical chemistry and pharmaceutical science principles (thermodynamics, kinetics, intermolecular interactions, phase behavior).
• Independent thinking with strong collaboration skills; able to influence across disciplines and thrive in a matrixed, fast-moving R&D environment.

Preferred experience:

• Oral peptide enabling science and/or novel delivery approaches.
• Experience designing formulation concepts for preclinical studies across routes of administration, with clear rationale linking material properties to in vivo performance.
• Hands-on experience with characterization techniques (e.g., DVS, DSC, TGA, PXRD, UPLC, MS) and interpretation of solid-state, stability, and solubility data to guide decision-making.
• Familiarity with preformulation workflows and physicochemical characterization of drug substances, including experimental design, data integrity, and fit-for-purpose reporting.
• Evidence of scientific impact such as peer-reviewed publications, patents, conference presentations, or strong internal technical reports.

Benefits:

We offer a competitive salary and extensive benefits package. The health and well-being of our employees is a priority, we have a flexible working environment as we value work-life balance. We offer career development opportunities for those who want to grow and be part of our organization.

Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies are equal opportunity employers, and all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to any other characteristic protected by law.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform important job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

The anticipated base pay range for this position is: €60,000.00 – €96,255.00

In addition to base pay, we offer the following benefits*: an annual bonus with set target (% of pay) depending on pay grade / location, where the actual amount is based on the employees' and companies' performance of the previous calendar year, or sales commissions. Moreover, we offer vacation days, parental leave for a minimum of 12 weeks, bereavement leave, caregiver leave, volunteer leave, well-being reimbursement, programs for financial, physical and mental health. We also offer service anniversary and recognition awards, and subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees – and in some location's eligible dependents – can participate in several insurance plans. For more information, visit Employee benefits | Supporting well-being & career growth | Johnson & Johnson Careers.

*This is for informative purposes only. Amounts and actual benefits may vary by location and are subject to change.