Principal Scientist, Cheminformatics (Small Molecule & DEL Informatics)

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:

Data Analytics & Computational Sciences

Job Sub Function:

Data Science

Job Category:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

Beerse, Antwerp, Belgium

Job Description:

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

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is hiring a Principal Scientist, Cheminformatics to join our team. The US location options for this position are Spring House, PA, Cambridge, MA, and San Diego, CA. Consideration may also be given for this position to be located in Beerse, Belgium.

Please note that this role is available across multiple countries and may be posted under different requisition numbers to comply with local requirements. While you are welcome to apply to any or all of the postings, we recommend focusing on the specific country that aligns with your preferred location :

USA - Requisition Number: R-026889

Belgium - Requisition Number: R-027978

We are seeking a highly skilled and innovative Principal Scientist in Cheminformatics to join our team. While strong emphasis will be put on informatics support for our DNA Encoded Library (DEL) platform, the successful candidate will also play a broader role in establishing industry-leading small molecule informatics capabilities, supporting bench scientists in every step of the DMTA cycle and guiding them in analysis and decision-making. This role will collaborate closely with project and platform teams to understand their ways of working and participate in the development of a future-looking informatics strategy for small molecules, including data provisioning, analytics, and visualization for hit identification and compound optimization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and implementation of advanced cheminformatics tools for small molecule analysis and DEL informatics.
• Implement statistical approaches to improve selection of compounds for off-DNA synthesis and accelerate workups of DEL screens.
• Enhance our internal DEL ML virtual screening capabilities and apply to key projects.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to integrate cheminformatics solutions into drug discovery platforms.
• Design and optimize computational workflows and front-ends for the analysis and visualization of small molecule bioactivity and ADMET data.
• Manage and mentor contractors, ensuring robust project delivery and performance.
• Stay updated on industry trends and emerging technologies in cheminformatics and DEL to enhance project outcomes.

Required Qualifications:

• PhD in Cheminformatics, Chemical Engineering, Computational Chemistry, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of industry experience with a proven track record of delivering end-to-end solutions from conceptualization to implementation.
• Deep expertise in cheminformatics software (e.g., KNIME, OpenEye) and programming languages (e.g., Python, R).
• Expertise in structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis
• Experience working in cross-functional teams & translating ideas from bench scientists to informatics solutions.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills with a collaborative mindset.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Good knowledge of DNA-encoded libraries and their applications in drug discovery.
• Experience with statistical analyses and machine learning techniques applied to chemistry problems.
• Experience managing contractors or direct reports.
• Experience leading strategic initiatives
• Experience in dashboarding (e.g., Spotfire, streamlit, shiny)
Familiarity with medicinal chemistry end-user tools (e.g., LiveDesign).

This is a Hybrid role available in Spring House, PA, Cambridge, MA, or San Diego, CA within the US, or Beerse, Belgium. (No fully remote option.) Travel up to approximately 10% may be required, domestic and international.