Associate Director, Expression Sciences

Job Function

Discovery & Pre-Clinical/Clinical Development

Biological Research

People Leader

Spring House, Pennsylvania, United States of America

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We are searching for the best talent for Associate Director, Expression Sciences in Spring House, PA.

Purpose:

The Associate Director, will integrate target biology insights with state of the art recombinant expression screening and analytics to streamline and accelerate protein production for assay development, high-throughput screening (HTS), pharmacological profiling, biophysics and structural biology (X-ray crystallography, Cryo-EM, HDX-MS and NMR) to advance discovery portfolio. As a key member of the Structural and Protein Sciences group, this position will play a critical role in partnering with the Protein Chemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology teams to contribute towards protein design & engineering, streamlining recombinant protein expression and production of novel protein targets and applying innovative tools to express the most complex targets including membrane proteins to accelerate target-to-lead timelines

We are seeking a scientifically thorough and collaborative leader who can work across discovery teams to drive impact across a diverse portfolio of. Success will require the ability to operate effectively within a highly matrixed, fast-paced environment, while contributing both strategically and hands‑on to program advancement.

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of scientists and associate scientists responsible for high‑throughput expression screening across bacterial, insect, and mammalian expression systems, including performance management and career development conversations.
• Define and execute the strategic vision for the HT expression screening platform, aligning capacity, automation investment, and technology roadmap with departmental and portfolio priorities.
• Design and implement high‑throughput construct and expression screening strategies to rapidly identify optimal expression conditions for challenging soluble and membrane protein targets.
• Drive automation of expression screening workflows using liquid‑handling robotics and laboratory information management systems to increase throughput, reproducibility, and data quality.
• Partner with Therapeutic Area discovery teams, Protein Chemistry, and Structural Biology leads to translate program needs into feasible expression screening plans, timelines, and risk‑mitigation strategies.
• Evaluate, pilot, and implement new technologies and platforms (e.g., novel expression hosts, cell‑free systems, AI/ML‑guided protein screening) to continuously improve screening throughput and success rates.
• Oversee data analysis, interpretation, and reporting of expression screening results, ensuring timely, data‑driven recommendations are communicated to project teams and management.
• Manage vendor and CRO relationships for externalized expression screening activities, including technology transfer, scope definition, and quality oversight.
• Ensure compliance with Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN), and other regulatory/documentation standards.
• Represent the expression screening platform in cross‑functional forums and contribute to departmental goals, budget planning, and resource allocation.
• Integrate Johnson & Johnson's Credo and Leadership Imperatives into team goals, decision‑making, and day‑to‑day interactions.

• Education:
  
  Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, with a minimum of 10+ years of relevant industry experience (or M.S./B.S. with commensurately greater years of experience) is required.
• Skills/
  
  Experience:
  • Required…