Johnson & Johnson Posted August 10, 2026

Pharmaceutical Associate Sales Specialist (Military Pathway) - San Luis Obispo, CA – Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

San Luis Obispo, United States Full time
Sales Associate

Johnson & Johnson is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

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:

Pharmaceutical Sales

Job Sub Function:

Sales – Immunology (Commission)

Job Category:

Professional

All Job Posting Locations:

San Luis Obispo, California, United States, Santa Barbara, California, United States

Job Description:

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is seeking a Pharmaceutical Associate Sales Specialist to join our Military Pathway program, supporting the San Luis Obispo, CA territory which includes Santa Barbara, CA.

This opportunity is designed for transitioning or recently transitioned military leaders who are interested in launching a career in pharmaceutical sales. You’ll gain hands-on experience, structured training, and mentorship while building the skills needed to progress into a Sales Representative role.

About Immunology

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.

Our Immunology team leads in the development of transformational medicines for immunological disorders and illnesses. You can influence where medicine is going by restoring health to millions of people living with immune diseases. 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

About the Role

As a Pharmaceutical Associate Sales Specialist, you will support customer engagement and business operations within your assigned territory. This field-based role reports to a District Manager and provides a pathway to full sales responsibility upon successful development.

Key Responsibilities

Support the promotion and sales of company products in alignment with sales strategy and compliance guidelines

Partner with the broader sales team to execute territory strategies and customer engagement plans

Prepare for and conduct customer interactions using tailored, insight-driven approaches

Communicate product value using approved clinical and marketing materials

Develop and execute a territory plan, identifying opportunities, challenges, and key priorities

Build relationships with healthcare professionals and institutional stakeholders

Analyze business performance data to identify trends, opportunities, and areas for growth

Collaborate with cross-functional partners to drive results across your territory

Continuously develop knowledge of the healthcare landscape, including access and reimbursement

Development & Career Path

Participate in a structured onboarding and training program

Build foundational sales, business, and healthcare market knowledge

Progress toward full territory ownership as a Sales Representative upon successful performance and development

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required

Minimum of 2 years of U.S. military experience

Transitioning from active-duty military service or less than four years removed from active service preferred

Demonstrated leadership experience and a track record of success

Strong interpersonal, communication, and influencing skills [

Analytical thinking and problem-solving ability

Ability to adapt in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and deliver results

Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel as needed

Willingness to meet healthcare credentialing requirements

Ability to reside in or relocate to the assigned territory

Preferred Capabilities

Strong learning agility and ability to quickly build new skills

Results-oriented mindset with a commitment to performance

Comfort operating in ambiguity and navigating complex environments

Ability to influence a diverse set of stakeholders

Learning Aptitude towards AI/Tech: Demonstrated commitment to learning emerging technologies, such as AI, through exploration, iteration, and applying new tools over time

Why This Role

This role offers a unique opportunity to translate military leadership experience into a commercial healthcare career, while making a meaningful impact on patient care. You will gain exposure to the healthcare ecosystem, develop highly transferable business skills, and join a mission-driven organization focused on improving health outcomes.

If you are under 18 years of age, you (the candidate) may need to obtain the necessary working papers or other documentation required by state law to start the assignment, as well as get a parent’s consent for the background check

Johnson & Johnson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Johnson & Johnson is committed to providing an interview process that is inclusive of our applicants’ needs. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers , internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

At Johnson & Johnson, we want every candidate to feel supported throughout the hiring process. Our goal is to make the experience clear, fair, and respectful of your time.

Here’s What You Can Expect

Application review: We’ll carefully review your CV to see how your skills and experience align with the role.

Getting to know you: If there’s a good match, you’ll be invited to complete a short-recorded video interview, giving you the chance to share more about yourself. If successful, a recruiter will also reach out by phone to walk you through the process and answer any questions.

Interviews with the team: If you move forward, you’ll meet with the hiring manager (and possibly others on the team) in one or two interview rounds, depending on the role.

Staying informed: We know waiting can be hard, so our recruitment team will keep you updated and make sure you know what to expect at each step.

Final steps: For successful candidates, you will need to complete country-specific checks before starting your new role. We will help guide you through these.

At the end of the process, we’ll also invite you to share feedback in a short survey, your input helps us continue improving the experience for future candidates. Thank you for considering a career with Johnson & Johnson. We’re excited to learn more about you and wish you the best of luck in the process! #RPONA

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

Account Management, Analytical Reasoning, Business Behavior, Clinical Experience, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Cultural Competence, Customer Centricity, Data Savvy, Developing Partnerships, Execution Focus, Immunology, Market Knowledge, Pharmaceutical Industry, Pharmaceutical Sales Marketing, Problem Solving, Report Writing, Sales, Sales Enablement, Sales Support, Sales Trend Analysis, Strategic Sales Planning

The anticipated base pay range for this position is :

$79,000 to $112,000

Additional Description for Pay Transparency:

Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k)). This position is eligible to participate in the Company’s long-term incentive program. Subject to the terms of their respective policies and date of hire, employees are eligible for the following time off benefits: Vacation –120 hours per calendar year Sick time - 40 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Colorado –48 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Washington –56 hours per calendar year 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 period10 days Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year Additional information can be found through the link below. For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: - https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits

Job details

Seniority
Associate
Function
Sales
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
San Luis Obispo, United States
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Sales role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 612 comparable Associate Sales roles across 74 biopharma companies.

612Comparable roles tracked
574Currently active
74Companies hiring similar roles
56Countries represented

Salary context

146 of 612 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject $79,000/yr – $112,000/yr
Lowest disclosed · 2027 Pharmaceutical Sales Intern (Undergraduate) · AbbVie $21/hr – $37/hr (≈ $43,680–$76,960/yr)
Highest disclosed · Regional General Manager - Vaccines Southeast · Sanofi Vaccines US Inc. $232,500/yr – $387,500/yr
Peer group range $60,320 – $310,000 (median $178,750)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 612 comparable roles

United States337
India35
China33
Germany28
Poland13
Vietnam12

+ 50 more countries

Seniority mix

612 of 612 peers have a known seniority level

Manager591
Associate11
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc10

Therapeutic area mix

148 of 612 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology50
Rare Disease21
Dermatology & Aesthetics17
Cardiovascular / CVRM16
Vaccines & Infectious Disease14
Neuroscience10
Immunology9
Respiratory8
Gastroenterology2
Ophthalmology1

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Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

60%
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Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.