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: **
Animal Medicine
Job Category:
People Leader
All Job Posting Locations:
San Diego, California, United States of America, Spring House, Pennsylvania, 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 a Global Associate Director, Veterinary Oversight to be located in Spring House, PA or La Jolla, CA.
**Purpose: **The Global Associate Director, Veterinary Oversight provides global strategic and operational leadership for veterinary oversight across in vivo research programs and serves as the designated Attending Veterinarian for assigned sites and programs. This role is accountable for the scientific, ethical, and regulatory integrity of veterinary oversight for internal research activities and partners with designated accountable leaders to provide veterinary oversight input for external, contracted non-clinical and GLP safety assessment studies, supporting consistent veterinary standards, animal welfare practices, and regulatory compliance across global internal sites and external partners.
**You will be responsible for: **
- Serving as the designated Attending Veterinarian (AV) with authority for the adequacy of veterinary care and animal welfare programs, providing independent veterinary oversight to ensure animal well‑being, appropriate medical care, and application of humane endpoints in accordance with applicable regulations and institutional policies.
- Advising institutional Officials, IACUCs/ECs, and senior leadership on matters related to animal care and welfare, and ensure AV responsibilities are appropriately delegated, documented, and maintained across sites and programs.
- Providing global leadership and strategic direction for veterinary oversight supporting discovery research and nonclinical development programs, aligning veterinary strategy with business priorities, scientific objectives, and regulatory expectations.
- Directly managing, mentoring, and developing clinical veterinarians, ensuring consistent performance, capability development, and succession planning across geographically dispersed teams.
- Establishing, harmonizing, and maintaining global veterinary standards, expectations, and best methods across internal sites and external partners.
- Ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare and veterinary oversight across internal vivaria, including oversight of preventative medicine, diagnostics, quarantine/acclimation, surgical support, and veterinary care programs.
- Supporting IACUC/EC activities, including protocol review, post‑approval monitoring, inspections, audits, and regulatory interactions, to ensure compliance with applicable USDA, EU directives, FDA regulations, GLP requirements, AAALAC standards, and internal policies.
- Partnering with study teams, Animal Welfare & Regulatory Compliance, Quality, Legal, and other partners to address veterinary and animal welfare findings, risks, or issues.
- Providing veterinary consultation and oversight input for externally conducted GLP safety assessment studies, including review of study designs, animal monitoring plans, humane endpoints, and veterinary care provisions, in collaboration with accountable study and vendor oversight functions.
- Collaborating with toxicologists, study directors, QA, and procurement to support CRO veterinary programs, as applicable.
- Contributing veterinary input, when applicable, to the qualification, auditing, and ongoing oversight of animal suppliers and contract research organizations.
- Partnering with training teams to establish global expectations for veterinary training and competency, and promote consistent application of the 3Rs, refinement strategies, and humane endpoint criteria across internal and external programs.
- Leading global quality improvement initiatives related to veterinary oversight and animal welfare, and maintain awareness of emerging regulations, scientific advances, and best methods in laboratory animal medicine and toxicology oversight.
Qualifications/Requirements
Education:
- A Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine/VMD (DVM/VMD) or equivalent degree from an accredited school of Veterinary Medicine is required.
- Licensed (or license-eligible) to practice veterinary medicine in the United States and/or European Union, with ability to meet regional requirements is required.
- ACLAM, ECLAM, or equivalent board certification is strongly preferred.
Experience and Skills:
**Required: **
- Minimum of eight (8) years’ experience in laboratory animal medicine within biotech/pharma or CRO environments is required.
- Education and experience sufficient to independently fulfill Attending Veterinarian responsibilities is required.
- Demonstrated experience in clinical veterinary care, animal welfare, and 3Rs advancement is required.
- Proven experience providing veterinary oversight, including for GLP safety assessment studies is required.
- Deep understanding of regulatory frameworks (USDA, EU Directive 2010/63, GLPs) and AAALAC standards is required.
- Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills with a high level of diplomacy is required.
- Strong collaboration and professional relationship management capabilities are required.
- Ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive performance of geographically dispersed teams is required.
- Comfort engaging with partners at all organizational levels to communicate compliance expectations and address concerns/issues is required.
- Active participation in industry organizations and ongoing professional development is required.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills are required.
- Excellent judgment and influencing skills across functions and regions is required.
- Ability to operate effectively in a matrixed global organization is required.
- Commitment to continuous professional development and regulatory awareness is required.
- Adept at working under time constraints and leading changing priorities to achieve results effectively is required.
- Must complete all annual training requirements.
- Must perform all work per appropriate safety standards. Ability to wear all Personal Protective Equipment required to perform work tasks is required.
- Applicable vaccinations may be required for entry and work within specific laboratory and vivarium spaces.
Preferred:
- Hands-on nonclinical toxicology experience, including study design and data interpretation is preferred.
- Experience working with large, complex international teams is preferred.
- Background in project management and organizational change is preferred.
Other:
- Domestic and international travel required; up to 20%.
- Availability for off-core business hours meetings and work as needed.
This is an essential personnel role: Essential Personnel are defined as the staff who are required to report to their designated work location, to ensure the operation of essential functions or departments during an emergency, as determined by Johnson & Johnson, or when the business has suspended operations. There are some individuals who may be required to perform essential services remotely and those individuals will be identified in advance and notified by their supervisors, but in most cases Essential Personnel are required to be on-site during an emergency or suspension of operations.
The expected base pay range for this position is $137,000 to $235,750.
The Company maintains highly competitive, performance-based compensation programs. Under current guidelines, this position is eligible for an annual performance bonus in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan. The annual performance bonus is a cash bonus intended to provide an incentive to achieve annual targeted results by rewarding for individual and the corporation’s performance over a calendar/performance year. Bonuses are awarded at the Company’s discretion on an individual basis.
Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees and/or eligible dependents are eligible to participate in the following Company sponsored employee benefit programs: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, business accident insurance, and group legal insurance.
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)).
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 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
- Condolence Leave – 30 days for an immediate family member: 5 days for an extended family member
- Caregiver Leave – 10 days
- Volunteer Leave – 4 days
- Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours
Additional information can be found through the link below.
For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to:
- https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits
The compensation and benefits information set forth in this posting applies to candidates hired in the United States. Candidates hired outside the United States will be eligible for compensation and benefits in accordance with their local market.
This job posting is anticipated to close on 05/28/2026. The Company may, however, extend this time-period, in which case the posting will remain available on https://www.careers.jnj.com to accept additional applications.
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 & 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, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers, internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.
#LI-Onsite
Required Skills:
Preferred Skills:
Animal Management, Collaborating, Developing Others, Drug Discovery Development, Inclusive Leadership, Industry Analysis, Leadership, Preclinical Research, Regulatory Affairs Management, Research Ethics, Researching, Resource Planning, Scientific Research, Stakeholder Engagement, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Sciences, Vivarium Management
The anticipated base pay range for this position is :
$137,000.00 - $235,750.00
Additional Description for Pay Transparency: