Job Description

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:

Career Programs

Job Sub Function:

Post Doc – R&D Product Development

Job Category:

Career Program

All Job Posting Locations:

Beerse, Antwerp, Belgium

As a Postdoctoral Scholar within the Center for Computational Chemistry and Advanced Modelling (CCAM), in Synthetics Analytical andDevelopment (AD) within Therapeutic Development & Supply (TDS), you will contribute to advancing how we develop small molecule medicines and therapies by developing and employing quantum chemical simulations and machine learning workflows.

The position is within a quantum chemistry team that focuses on applying and developing methods to estimate synthetic outcomes and to assess chemical degradation pathways in silico. You will work in interdisciplinary teams at various stages of drug discovery and development to contribute to delivering stable NMEs (New Molecule Entities), efficient synthesis processes, and robust drug products.

Role and Responsibilities

• Develop and employ fast (hybrid) quantum chemistry workflows to accelerate reactivity assessments relevant to synthesis and drug substance stability, while maintaining fit‑for‑purpose accuracy for prioritization and decision making.

• Conduct computational studies to investigate chemical reactivity relevant to synthesis and drug substance stability, using quantum chemical and mechanistic modeling approaches.

• Develop, optimize, and validate machine learning components to improve reaction outcome estimations against limited experimental datasets and quantify model performance.

• Liaise with experimental scientists to define validation strategies, interpret results, and translate model outputs into actionable recommendations.

• Take part in research collaborations with academic and private organizations and consortia and communicate results through presentations and publications where appropriate.

• Work in a multidisciplinary team of scientists, building and maintaining positive relationships with key collaborators.

Qualifications & Experience

• Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry, Chemistry, Data Science, with experience in simulation technologies and/or AI/ML applied to chemistry.

• Experience with quantum chemical methods and/or reaction mechanism analysis. Exposure to condensed-phase reactivity problems is a plus.

• Experience with machine learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and scientific data analysis/model validation.

• Ability to work with heterogeneous experimental/computed datasets. Familiarity with statistical analysis and data visualization tools.

• Comfortable working in a Linux command‑line environment. Experience with workflow automation/scripting is an advantage.

• Insights into the broader pharmaceutical product development picture is considered an advantage.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

The anticipated base pay range for this position is:

€60,000.00 - €96,255.00

Benefits:

In addition to base pay, we offer the following benefits*: an annual bonus with set target (% of pay) depending on pay grade / location, where the actual amount is based on the employees’ and companies’ performance of the previous calendar year, or sales commissions. Moreover, we offer vacation days, parental leave for a minimum of 12 weeks, bereavement leave, caregiver leave, volunteer leave, well-being reimbursement, programs for financial, physical and mental health. We also offer service anniversary and recognition awards, and subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees - and in some location’s eligible dependents - can participate in several insurance plans. For more information, visit Employee benefits | Supporting well-being & career growth | Johnson & Johnson Careers.

*This is for informative purposes only. Amounts and actual benefits may vary by location and are subject to change.