Associate Director, Viral Vectors (Cell and Genetic Medicines Discovery)

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 https://www.jnj.com

Job Function:

Procurement

Job Sub Function:

Category

Job Category:

People Leader

All Job Posting Locations:

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America

Job Description:

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.

Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/innovative-medicine

We are searching for the best talent for an Associate Director, Viral Vectors (Cell and Genetic Medicines Discovery) that will be based in Cambridge, MA.

Purpose:

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Associate Director to join our cell therapy discovery efforts and build a dedicated team in Cambridge, MA. In this role, you will leverage your expertise in viral vector technology to drive innovative therapeutic solutions for advancing cell therapies.

This position presents a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research in CAR-T cell therapy. If you are passionate about advancing scientific discovery and possess a collaborative mindset, we invite you to apply!

Key Responsibilities:

• Establish, build, and mentor a high-performing team dedicated to the design and screening of viral vectors for CAR-T therapies.

• Leverage extensive knowledge of cell targeting approaches combined with lentivirus vector engineering, production, analytics, and  in vitro screening/testing to guide the team’s discovery, research, and development efforts.

• Provide leadership in the development of our cell therapy platform and pipeline, overseeing projects related to viral vector preparation, quantitation, and characterization.   Support the implementation of in vitro functional assays such as multi-color flow cytometry, ELISA, cytotoxic assays, and vector copy number (VCN) analysis.

• Help build and establish laboratory facilities to support relevant workstreams

• Interpret experimental data, summarize and report findings to project teams.  Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to a variety of stakeholders, including senior management.

• Identify and conceptualize new ideas; design, plan, and lead experiments while prioritizing areas of focus based on business objectives.

• Provide strategic direction for cell therapy platform development and collaborate with team members and cross-functional teams.

• Contribute to an inspiring, scientifically rigorous and innovative culture that embraces continuous learning, development and collaboration.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in a relevant field (biological sciences, molecular biology, virology, etc.) with a minimum of 5 years of industry experience in addition to post-doctoral experience; OR a MS in a relevant scientific discipline with at least 8-10 years of related industry experience is required.

• Demonstrated experience in CAR-T cell therapy and/or viral vector research and development, particularly as it pertains to cell therapies is required.

• Significant lentiviral vector experience required. 

• Extensive experience with cell culture, genetic engineering technologies, lentiviral vector design, and in vitro assay development is required.

• Expertise and experience with analytical methods typically used in the manufacture and characterization of viral vector products with demonstrated eagerness to explore new technologies and approaches, driving innovation and continuous improvement is required.

• Experience establishing high throughput workflows and laboratory operations is required.

• People leadership experience in a direct line setting is required.