Johnson & Johnson Posted September 25, 2026

Field Director, Rheumatology - Eastern US

North Carolina (Any City), United States Full time
Medical Affairs Director
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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:

Medical Affairs Group

Job Sub Function:

Medical Science Liaison

Job Category:

People Leader

All Job Posting Locations:

Delaware (Any City), Florida (Any City), Georgia (Any City), Indiana (Any City), Kentucky (Any City), Maryland (Any City), New York (Any City), North Carolina (Any City), Ohio (Any City), Pennsylvania (Any City), Rhode Island (Any City), South Carolina (Any City), Tennessee (Any City), Virginia (Any City), Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, West Virginia (Any City)

Job Description:

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicines is recruiting for a Field Director - Rheumatology - Eastern US. A candidate for consideration has been pre - identified. However, all applications will be considered.

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

The Field Director is responsible for leading a Rheumatology Medical Science Liaison (MSL) regional team in providing scientific, clinical, research, and educational support to health care professionals and internal partners related to the current and future Johnson & Johnson [Insert TA] products, while ensuring customer centric, insight driven, and compliant scientific engagement across the region.

The Field Director will partner with the MSL Head to set and drive strategy for their region/organized providers, translating TA and Medical Affairs strategy into clear regional priorities, measurable objectives, and executional excellence. The Field Director is responsible for insuring strong clinical engagement strategy for each territory within their region and will conduct routine strategy reviews with each MSL direct report, leveraging data, insights, AI tools, and performance trends to guide decision making.

The primary role of the Field Director is to provide support, coaching, and development to each of their direct reports (MSLs), utilizing the skills framework, routine feedback, and periodic field observation, with a strong emphasis on strength-based coaching, continuous improvement, and career development planning.

The Field Director will be responsible for the execution of field Medical Affairs programs, including product launches, proactive initiatives, and HCP engagement. The Field Director is responsible for insuring that each direct report is functioning at the expected level of scientific acumen/expertise, presentation skills, and soft skill abilities, including professional credibility and command, stakeholder influence, adaptive communication, and effective scientific storytelling. In addition, the Field Director plays a critical role to remove barriers and align field activities to ensure impactful scientific engagement.

The Field Director is responsible to stay abreast of scientific information and disease states to ensure proficient interaction model, and coach with their team. They will also ensure their direct reports execute collection and analysis of high quality, actionable Medical Insights and effectively communicate them to inform strategy, evidence generation, and lifecycle planning.

The Field Director will demonstrate effective change leadership by upholding professionalism, performance, and integrity in challenging situations, and by guiding the team with resilience, accountability, and engagement through ambiguity and shifting priorities.

The Field Director will coordinate closely with Medical Affairs, Scientific Affairs, and cross functional partners to align on objectives and execution as appropriate. The Field Director is expected to identify possible solution(s) and make a recommendation to the MSL Head for action, demonstrating strong critical thinking, risk assessment, and sound judgment. The recommendations are expected to support the company’s scientific objectives. In addition, the Field Director will work collaboratively with local and regional internal business partners to meet scientific needs of customers, acting as a trusted scientific leader and strategic thought partner.

The Field Director is responsible for providing oversight of all activities in accordance with current regulatory and health care compliance guidelines, modeling compliant behavior, reinforcing ethical decision making, and ensuring a culture of accountability and integrity across the team.

Regional Team Leadership Responsibilities

Responsible for the management of a regional Rheumatology MSL team including:

Ensure that team functions according to the business plan and company directives.

Drive team performance through regular field visits and 1:1s, providing observation, coaching, and timely, candid, and constructive feedback aligned to performance expectations, development goals, and career progression.

Provide oversight responsibility for team’s training and development, ensuring ongoing scientific, skills based, and leadership capability building.

Ensure team optimal capacity, field activity level, and field metrics, using data and dashboards to monitor performance and drive continuous improvement.

Models and develops teams' scientific exchange skills to elevate the quality and impact of medical engagement across the organization, ensuring appropriate objection handling and correction of misperceptions and inaccuracies.

Ensures each MSL territory plan is strategic, up to date and actionable.

Manages the team through special projects and cross-functional support activities, balancing workload, priorities, and development.

Recruit, Retain, and develop a diverse high-performing team by implementing inclusive leadership strategies to inspire and motivate their team members, championing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all hiring and talent decisions.

Provide career and succession planning in support of staff reaching their highest potential with identification of high potential talent and readiness planning.

Provide an optimal working environment grounded in Credo values by communicating of a clear direction, active listening, respecting diversity, encouraging collaborative partnership, empowering direct reports, follow up on commitments, promoting innovation, and rewarding high performance, while fostering trust and accountability.

Responsible for timely completion of administrative duties, including assessment and approval of expense reports, preparation and communication of team metric reports, compliance documentation, and operational reporting.

Co-lead the communication of MSL team achievements, insights, and impact to appropriate internal partners and leadership, reinforcing value delivered by the field medical organization.

Cross Functional Collaboration & Scientific Leadership

The Field Director will serve as a leader and role model for compliant, effective cross‑functional collaboration across their respective regions, ensuring routine, high‑quality communication with field partners (e.g., Specialists, District Managers, KAMs, Clinical Educators, and MSL peers) in alignment with Medical Affairs strategy and customer needs.

Participate in business planning activities as necessary across the various brands and within Medical Affairs. Ensure appropriate training on and execution of proactive initiatives and other permissible field activities, ensuring alignment with Medical Affairs strategy and customer needs.

Partner with the MSL Head to develop and execute their region / organized provider strategies, providing field insights from KOLs and specialists to inform TA strategy, identify emerging trends and unmet needs, and support evidence generation opportunities.

Lead assigned scientific projects and programs with joint strategic design with the MSL Head and independent tactical execution. Demonstrate strong project management, prioritization, execution discipline, and effective translation of field intelligence into strategic recommendations for internal stakeholders.

May be responsible for identifying and developing field scientific strategies, aligned to TA medical priorities and lifecycle needs.

Participates and/or leads cross functional/company initiatives, representing Field Medical with credibility, influence, and strategic perspective.

Champions a culture of excellence by establishing scalable, high-impact processes that foster alignment, enhance efficiency, garner buy-in, drive compliance, and empower cross-functional teams to achieve shared goals.

Qualifications

A minimum of a master’s degree is required. PharmD, PhD, MD highly preferred.

Minimum of 8 years required. A minimum of 4 years of pharmaceutical industry, and a minimum of 2 years of MSL or equivalent experience is required. Clinical/research experience is preferred

TA-related experience is preferred.

Previous people management responsibility is preferred.

Proficiency in data gathering and analysis, clinical expertise, problem solving, interpersonal influence, and cross-functional collaboration strategic thinking and competitive landscape analysis.

Must live in their assigned region and in close proximity to an airport.  This role requires regional travel of approx. 60% depending on geography (including overnight travel, periodic national scientific congresses and key strategic/scientific meetings at the corporate office in Horsham, PA/Titusville, NJ)

A valid US driver’s license

Demonstrated commitment to learning emerging technologies, such as AI, through exploration, iteration, and applying new tools over time

Experience building team AI literacy and confidence, reinforcing trusted and responsible AI use and sound judgment

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 and internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

Channel Partner Enablement, Clinical Experience, Clinical Research and Regulations, Competitive Landscape Analysis, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Customer Centricity, Data-Driven Decision Making, Data Gathering and Analysis, Developing Others, Inclusive Leadership, Industry Analysis, Interpersonal Influence, Leadership, Medical Affairs, Medical Communications, Medical Compliance, Problem Solving, Relationship Building, Research and Development, Strategic Thinking

The anticipated base pay range for this position is :

$164,000.00 - $282,900.00

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

For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: - https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits

Job details

Seniority
Director
Function
Medical Affairs
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
North Carolina (Any City), United States
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

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

We currently track 229 comparable Director Medical Affairs roles across 51 biopharma companies.

229Comparable roles tracked
214Currently active
51Companies hiring similar roles
18Countries represented

Salary context

109 of 229 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 $164,000/yr – $282,900/yr
Lowest disclosed · Principal Strategic Medical Writer · AbbVie $109,500/yr – $208,500/yr
Peer group range $159,000 – $392,100 (median $264,000)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 229 comparable roles

United States181
United Kingdom13
China's Mainland7
Canada5
Japan3
Germany3

+ 12 more countries

Seniority mix

229 of 229 peers have a known seniority level

Director199
Senior Director23
Principal7

Therapeutic area mix

101 of 229 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology38
Neuroscience13
Immunology13
Cardiovascular / CVRM9
Dermatology & Aesthetics8
Respiratory7
Vaccines & Infectious Disease5
Rare Disease5
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.

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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.