Director, Search & Evaluation – Asia Pacific

About the role

Johnson & Johnson is seeking a Director, Search & Evaluation for the Asia Pacific region, based in Tokyo. The role leads external innovation sourcing across therapeutic areas, partnering with academia, venture capital, and startups to bring high‑impact science into the company’s pipeline.

Key responsibilities

• Define and execute sourcing strategies for Asia Pacific, focusing on Japan, in collaboration with the Regional Sourcing Leader.
• Build and maintain relationships with academic centers, biotech firms, investors, and incubators to position J&J as a “Partner of Choice.”
• Identify, pre‑vet, and assess innovative product/platform opportunities aligned with therapeutic area strategies.
• Facilitate early‑stage projects through JLABS incubation and represent J&J at industry conferences and panels.
• Collaborate with internal J&J teams to translate external insights into actionable pipeline opportunities.

Required profile

• Doctoral degree (Ph.D., MD, PharmD or equivalent) in a life‑science field such as Oncology, Immunology or Cell Biology.
• 8+ years of R&D experience across multiple therapeutic areas or advanced technologies.
• Broad network in the life‑science ecosystem and proven experience in scientific search and evaluation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate teams, manage stakeholder relationships and conduct due‑diligence exercises.
• Excellent communication skills, fluent English, and willingness to travel up to 20%.

Required skills

• Scientific due‑diligence and evaluation
• Strategic partnership development
• Stakeholder engagement across academia, biotech and venture capital