Medical Director, Clinical Development-Rheumatology

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 innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions to deliver breakthroughs that profoundly impact health for humanity.

About the role

The Medical Director provides medical and scientific leadership for late-stage rheumatology clinical development. The role leads assigned studies and contributes to program strategy, with accountability for rigorous trial design, medical oversight, data interpretation, and high-quality clinical and regulatory deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, execution, analysis, and reporting of Phase 2 and Phase 3 rheumatology trials, aligned with clinical development strategy and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as medical lead for assigned studies, including eligibility guidance, medical monitoring, safety review, protocol deviation assessment, and benefit-risk evaluation.
• Lead cross-functional study teams and drive timely decisions, risk mitigation, and delivery of study milestones.
• Develop and review clinical documents, including study concepts, protocols, investigator brochures, statistical analysis inputs, clinical study reports, and publications.
• Contribute medical content to regulatory submissions, briefing packages, health authority responses, and regulatory interactions.
• Interpret emerging clinical, translational, and competitive evidence and translate it into actionable development recommendations.
• Build effective relationships with investigators, external experts, patient organizations, and development partners.
• Support evaluation of new mechanisms, modalities, and external opportunities relevant to rheumatology and autoimmune disease.
• Mentor clinical team members and contribute to a collaborative, inclusive, and high-accountability culture.

Requirements

• MD or equivalent medical degree is required.
• Clinical expertise in rheumatology is required, with board certification in rheumatology preferred.
• Typically 3 or more years of relevant clinical development or clinical research experience is preferred, with pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience strongly preferred; academic clinical research experience may also be considered.
• Experience leading or materially contributing to interventional clinical trials, including protocol development, medical monitoring, data review, and study reporting, is required.
• Experience with deep depletion approaches or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is desirable.

Skills

• Strong clinical judgment and current knowledge of rheumatology, immunology, clinical trial methodology, and Good Clinical Practice.
• Ability to analyze complex data, identify material risks, and communicate a clear recommendation.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in global, cross-functional, and matrixed teams.
• Clear scientific writing, presentation, collaboration, and influencing skills.
• Comfort using artificial intelligence and digital tools to improve productivity, strengthen scientific analysis, and support high-quality clinical development deliverables.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as business needs require.

Benefits

• Vacation – 120 hours per calendar year
• Sick time – 40 hours per calendar year (48 hours for Colorado residents, 56 hours for Washington residents)
• 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
• Bereavement Leave – 240 hours for an immediate family member; 40 hours for an extended family member per calendar year
• Caregiver Leave – 80 hours in a 52-week rolling period
• Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year
• Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year
• Eligibility to participate in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k))
• Eligibility to participate in the Company’s long-term incentive program

Pay

The anticipated base pay range for this position is $194,000 - $334,650.

All job postings locations: Cambridge, Massachusetts; San Diego, California; Spring House, Pennsylvania.