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:
Medical Affairs Group
Job Sub Function:
Medical Affairs
Job Category:
People Leader
All Job Posting Locations:
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Job Description:
We are searching for the best talent for the Senior Medical Director, Medical Affairs - Immunology position to join our Medical Affairs leadership team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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
Purpose:
The Senior Medical Director, Medical Affairs - Immunology provides senior medical, scientific and people leadership for the Canadian Immunology portfolio across gastroenterology, dermatology and rheumatology, including in-line, launch and pipeline assets. The current and emerging portfolio may include Tremfya (guselkumab), Stelara (ustekinumab), icotrokinra, nipocalimab and other Immunology assets as portfolio priorities evolve. The Senior Medical Director, Medical Affairs - Immunology will lead one integrated Immunology Medical Affairs strategy and execution plan across Medical Strategy, Evidence Generation, Field Medical, Medical Education and Medical Communications. The Senior Medical Director, Medical Affairs - Immunology will ensure that activities address a clearly defined patient, healthcare-system or scientific need, are prioritized to the highest-impact opportunities and are measured for outcomes, not only activity completion.
The Senior Medical Director, Medical Affairs - Immunology will serve as a member of the Medical Affairs Leadership Team (MALT), contributing beyond Immunology to the strategic direction, governance, capability building and performance of Medical Affairs Canada. Represent Canada in relevant regional and Global Medical Affairs Teams (GMATs), worldwide evidence planning and other global forums, shaping strategy with Canadian clinical-practice, access and healthcare-system needs.
The Senior Medical Director, Medical Affairs - Immunology will build trusted scientific partnerships with external experts, professional societies, patient organizations and other healthcare stakeholders, while maintaining clear medical independence and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, industry codes and J&J policies.
You will be responsible for:
Immunology strategy, portfolio and launch leadership:
- Own the end-to-end Canadian Medical Affairs strategy for Immunology and ensure alignment across gastroenterology, dermatology and rheumatology disease areas, asset life cycles and pipeline priorities.
- Translate business, scientific, patient and healthcare-system needs into a small number of clear medical priorities, critical deliverables, resource choices and measurable outcomes.
- Provide medical leadership for launch readiness, indication expansion, lifecycle management, prioritization and scenario planning, including clear recommendations when evidence, regulatory, access or investment assumptions change.
- Provide senior medical leadership within cross-functional teams, partnering closely with Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory, Clinical Operations, Patient Engagement, Legal, Privacy, HCC/Compliance and Finance while preserving Medical Affairs accountability and independence.
Evidence generation and scientific dissemination:
- Lead the Canadian Integrated Evidence Generation Plan (IEGP), integrating local, regional and worldwide evidence needs and prioritizing studies that can materially inform clinical practice, guidelines, access, safe use or scientific differentiation.
- Oversee local interventional and non-interventional studies, real-world evidence, investigator-initiated studies, collaborative research, data-source opportunities and publication plans, with fit-for-purpose design, appropriate governance, feasibility, budget discipline and timely dissemination.
- Ensure study concepts and protocols address a defined evidence gap, have a clear path to impact, and are scientifically and operationally rigorous. Provide medical assessment and approval of local protocols within delegated authority.
- Connect Canadian evidence priorities to global teams early, advocate for Canadian inclusion in multi-country studies and ensure local insights shape worldwide plans. Support high-quality abstracts, manuscripts, congress communications and scientific platforms.
Field Medical and external scientific engagement:
- Set direction for the Immunology Field Medical strategy and ensure MSL plans, stakeholder segmentation, scientific narratives, insight collection and execution are aligned to the integrated medical plan.
- Partner closely with the Associate Director, Field Medical to establish consistent expectations, coaching, scientific capability, performance measures and compliant ways of working across IBD, dermatology and rheumatology field teams.
- Maintain direct, credible engagement with priority Canadian experts and institutions. Personally participate in customer interactions, advisory boards, congresses and other scientific exchanges to understand evolving practice and test strategic assumptions.
- Ensure insights are synthesized into actionable recommendations and visibly influence evidence generation, education, communications, launch plans and resource allocation.
Medical Education and Medical Communications:
- Own strategic integration of Medical Education and Medical Communications into the Immunology medical plan, while leveraging the specialist expertise of NMEM and Medical Communications colleagues for compliant design and execution.
- Ensure educational initiatives are grounded in documented learning needs, define the priority audience and intended change, use appropriate channels and include meaningful outcome measures.
- Oversee scientific content strategy, publications, congress content, field materials and medical communications so that they are accurate, balanced, current, differentiated where supported by evidence and consistent across channels.
- Review program performance, challenge low-impact or duplicative activity and redirect investment to higher-value opportunities.
Global, regional and enterprise leadership:
- Represent Canada in GMATs, global congress planning, worldwide IEGP and asset forums; build strong relationships with Global Medical Affairs, R&D, regional teams and other operating companies.
- Influence global strategy, evidence plans, scientific narratives and resourcing to reflect Canadian needs, and translate global direction into locally relevant, executable plans.
- Contribute actively to MALT governance, standards, talent development and enterprise priorities, sharing best practices and leading cross-portfolio initiatives as assigned.
People, organization and financial leadership:
- Lead and develop a multidisciplinary organization establishing clear accountabilities across Medical Directors, Scientific Advisors, Field Medical, Medical Education and Medical Communications.
- Attract, coach and retain diverse talent; set high standards for scientific quality, strategic thinking, customer engagement, collaboration, execution and leadership behavior. Build succession plans and development opportunities for future local and global roles.
- Create an inclusive, transparent and high-accountability culture. Set priorities, manage capacity, remove duplication and ensure the team can adapt as portfolio needs change.
- Own the Immunology Medical Affairs budget and resource allocation, with clear investment rationale, milestones and measures of impact. Make evidence-based recommendations to start, stop, scale or redirect work.
Governance, safety and compliance:
- Ensure strategies, evidence generation, scientific exchange, Medical Education, Medical Communications, advisory boards, external funding and customer engagement comply with Health Canada requirements, applicable privacy obligations, the Innovative Medicines Canada Code, J&J policies and local procedures.
- Provide senior medical judgement on benefit-risk, emerging safety issues, product complaints and scientific matters, partnering with Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory and Quality as required.
- Ensure decisions are appropriately documented, supported by adequate pre-reads and governed through the correct forums. Escalate material scientific, safety, compliance, privacy, operational or reputational risks promptly.
- Promote the safe and effective use of J&J medicines and maintain appropriate separation between scientific/medical activities and promotional decision-making.
Qualifications / Requirements:
- Advanced scientific or healthcare degree required; MD, PhD or PharmD strongly preferred.
- Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare or academic/clinical environment, including a demonstrated record of success in Medical Affairs and/or Clinical Development.
- Substantial experience in Immunology or related therapeutic areas strongly preferred, with familiarity across gastroenterology, dermatology and/or rheumatology considered an asset.
- Demonstrated direct people leadership required; experience leading leaders and multidisciplinary teams strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience in medical strategy, evidence generation, launch readiness, lifecycle management, scientific communications, medical education and field medical leadership.
- Experience operating in a highly matrixed, cross-functional and global organization, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders without direct authority.
- Strong scientific judgement, business acumen and understanding of Canadian clinical practice, regulatory, market access and healthcare-system dynamics.
- Proven ability to build strategic relationships with medical experts, professional societies, patient organizations and other external stakeholders, and to serve as a credible medical spokesperson.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, executive presence, analytical thinking, prioritization and decision-making skills.
- Demonstrated commitment to ethics, inclusion, compliance and patient-centered decision-making.
- 20-30% domestic and international travel, including regular in-market customer engagement and attendance at scientific congresses, team meetings and regional/global forums.
- This position is located at the 19 Green Belt Drive Toronto head office and follows a hybrid schedule of three days in the office and two days remotely per week
The Company uses Artificial Intelligence in its assessment of applicants.
This job posting is for an existing position.
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.
Required Skills:
Preferred Skills:
Cross-Functional Leadership, Data Dissemination, Developing Others, Evidence Generation, Immunology, Inclusive Leadership, Leadership, Medical Affairs, Medical Compliance, Medical Leadership, Medical Sciences, People Leadership, Pharmaceutical Medical Affairs, Stakeholder Partnerships, Strategic Relationships, Strategic Thinking