Principal Scientist Pharmacology Full-time

Principal Scientist Pharmacology

Position Title: Principal Scientist Pharmacology. 3Rs Portfolio Innovation and External Engagement.

Location: Beerse, Antwerp, Belgium

Role Summary: The Principal Scientist – NAMs Innovation is a scientific role within Scientific & In Vivo Strategies (SIS), responsible for executing/coordinating internal and external NAMs development/evaluation opportunities.

Working under the scientific direction of the Sr. Principal Scientist & SIS Scientific Lead, this role applies strong technical expertise in ex vivo, in vitro, and in chemico NAMs approaches that will enable identified NAM opportunities and support their appropriate development, evaluation and implementation to enable the portfolio, through a combination of both internal lab-based and externally managed efforts.

Operating within the enterprise 3Rs framework and aligned with Discovery, Product Development & Supply (DPDS), Preclinical Safety & Translational Sciences (PSTS), and SIS strategic priorities, the Principal Scientist plays a key role in translating NAM strategy into program‑relevant scientific insights, enabling strengthening of preclinical assessments and in silico approaches, improved clinical translational relevance, and enhanced alignment with 3Rs.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Supporting Internal and External NAMs Development/Evaluation Efforts:
• Execute scientific evaluation of ex vivo, in vitro, and in chemico NAM opportunities relevant to discovery and development programs
• Support assessment of applicability, strengths, limitations, and readiness of NAMs within defined disease, modality, and context‑of‑use scenarios
• Partner with SIS Scientific Leads and TA/PSTS stakeholders to support evaluation and incorporation of NAMs into program and functional area strategies, under guidance of the Sr. Principal Scientist
• Enable in silico approaches through collaboration to understand and deliver on key outputs from ex vivo, in vitro and in chemico models to drive/improve upon in silico model development
• External NAMs Landscape Monitoring:
• Track developments in the external NAMs landscape, including academic advances, emerging platforms, and biotech technologies
• Compile and synthesize information on scientific maturity, translational relevance, and regulatory context of external NAM approaches
• Provide structured summaries and analyses to support portfolio‑level discussions and prioritization
• Internal Capability Execution:
• Support assessments of internal NAM capabilities and gaps relative to program needs and regulatory expectations
• Contribute to lab-based NAM development, evaluation, and validation activities, including documentation of learnings and outcomes
• Assist in development of internal tools, guidance, or exemplars that enable awareness and consistent application of NAMs across the enterprise
• Scientific Collaboration & Communication:
• Act as a day‑to‑day scientific partner for TA and discovery area scientists seeking guidance on or collaboratively developing NAM‑enabled approaches
• Contribute to internal scientific reviews, working groups, and forums related to NAMs and translational innovation
• Support preparation of internal and external scientific materials, including communications, presentations, and publications related to NAM implementation

Domestic and international travel may be required; up to 10%.

May perform other duties and matrix manage team members as assigned.

Education-Minimum Qualification:

• Ph.D. in bioengineering, biomedical engineering, pharmacology, toxicology, systems biology, or a related discipline, with a concentration in neuroscience, immunology and/or oncology.
• 2-5+ years of postdoctoral experience in academic, pharma, biotech or a related research setting, focused on NAMs-related platform development (i.e., CIVM/MPS, etc.)

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated hands-on expertise with NAMs, including ex vivo, complex in vitro (CIVM/MPS/organoids), and/or in chemico approaches and experience working cross-functionally with data scientist colleagues to leverage such platforms to enable in silico modeling efforts
• Ability to critically evaluate emerging technologies and communicate findings clearly to cross-functional teams
• Strong collaboration skills in a matrixed scientific environment
• Experience synthesizing scientific and technical information for portfolio or governance discussions
• Expertise in basic pharmacology concepts (EC50, Emax, etc.) and experience in relevant data analysis best practices and software/tools
• Demonstrated contributions to scientific publications, internal reports, or technical presentations
• Experience interacting with external technology developers or academic collaborators

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with regulatory science considerations relevant to NAM adoption
• Experience supporting NAM evaluation or development efforts within a pharma or biotech R&D discovery/preclinical organization

Required Skills: Clinical Trials Operations, Critical Thinking, Data Savvy, Drug Discovery Development, Industry Analysis, Innovation, Organizing, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacology, Pharmacometrics, Pharmacovigilance, Process Improvements, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Product Management, Scientific Research, Technical Credibility

The anticipated base pay range for this position is: €79 800,00 – €137 770,00

Benefits: 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.

Additional information: 79 800,00 – 159 600,00 EUR Annual