Medical Director, Early Development & Experimental Medicine (neuroscience)

Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson · Pharma · Titusville, NJ +4

Medical Director role focused on early-stage neuroscience drug development, shaping clinical strategy, designing and overseeing early-phase clinical studies, and driving programs from first-in-human through Proof-of-Concept. Requires deep scientific and clinical expertise in neuroscience, leadership in cross-functional drug development, and ability to operate in an innovation-focused matrix environment. Partners with discovery, precision measures, clinical pharmacology, biostatistics, regulatory, and external academic collaborators.

What you'd actually do

  1. Develop and lead clinical development strategies from IND/CTA through Phase I and Phase IIa Proof‑of‑Concept/Proof-of-Mechanism.
  2. Integrate translational hypotheses, biomarker strategies, precision measures (for patient selection, pharmacodynamic measures) and patient‑centric approaches into clinical plans.
  3. Ensure scientific rigor, clinical feasibility, and regulatory alignment in all development strategies.
  4. Lead the design of innovative and lean signal seeking early-phase clinical trials, including adaptive and biomarker‑enriched designs.
  5. Provide clinical oversight for study execution, including protocol development, medical monitoring, and data interpretation.

Skills

Required

  • MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent clinical degree
  • board certification in Neurology or Psychiatry
  • Minimum 5 years of clinical research experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, academia, or equivalent setting.
  • Demonstrated experience leading early‑phase clinical trials
  • Deep understanding of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s biology, clinical endpoints, and emerging modalities.
  • Strong knowledge of translational neuroscience, biomarkers, and experimental medicine approaches.
  • Strategic thinker with the ability to influence and drive cross‑functional teams.
  • Outstanding communication and presentation skills

Nice to have

  • experience in Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s Disease is highly desirable
  • Experience with innovative trial designs, digital health tools, or fluid/imaging biomarkers is a plus.

What the JD emphasized

  • Minimum 5 years of clinical research experience
  • Proven track record of advancing programs through early development milestones.