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:

Data Analytics & Computational Sciences

Job Sub Function:

Data Science

Job Category:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

Beerse, Antwerp, Belgium, Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain, Madrid, Spain

Job Description:

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is recruiting for Principal Scientist - R&D DSDH Ontology Developer TDS Therapeutics Development & Supply (TDS)

The primary location for this position is open to Spring House, PA; Cambridge, MA; Beerse, Belgium; Madrid, Spain; or Barcelona, Spain.

Candidate Interested in our US based locations, please apply to: R-067846

J&J Innovative Medicine develops treatments that improve the health of people worldwide. Research and development areas encompass oncology, immunology, neuroscience, cardiopulmonary and specialty ophthalmology. Our goal is to help people live longer, healthier lives. We have produced and marketed many first-in-class prescription medications and are poised to serve the broad needs of the healthcare market – from patients to practitioners and from clinics to hospitals. To learn more about Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine visit https://innovativemedicine.jnj.com/

POSITION SUMMARY
The R&D Data Science organization is recruiting for a Principal Data Scientist – Ontology Developer TDS to design, build, and govern the semantic frameworks that unify data across the development‑to‑delivery lifecycle for Therapeutics Development & Supply (TDS). You will translate scientific, technical, and operational concepts into well‑structured ontologies, controlled vocabularies, and semantic models that enable interoperability, analytics, automation, and AI/ML applications across TDS.

This role combines hands‑on ontology engineering with product-oriented thinking, partnering closely with domain experts in Process Development, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Data Science teams. You will serve as a key technical contributor and creative problem solver with a strong understanding of semantic technologies and data modeling in life sciences or manufacturing domains.

Key Responsibilities

Ontology Design, Development & Release

Model, code, test, and publish ontology modules and controlled vocabularies supporting our TDS data ecosystems (e.g., process development, material attributes, equipment hierarchies, batch and product genealogy, quality signals, supply chain flows).
Translate domain knowledge from SMEs into OWL/RDF classes and properties, SKOS vocabularies, and SHACL constraints, following patterns from established ontology engineering practices.
Produce validated, versioned semantic models and API‑ready outputs for integration into enterprise platforms.
Build mappings to enterprise canonical models, regulatory standards, and cross‑functional ontologies.

Governance, Standards & Quality

Maintain accountability for components of the TDS ontology roadmap—setting scope, priority, use cases, and success metrics.
Define and enforce modeling guidelines, naming and versioning conventions, change control processes, and release/deprecation rules, similar to R&D ontology governance frameworks.
Implement data quality checks including coverage, conformance, identifier normalization, and provenance capture.
Produce automated validation reports and maintain SPARQL queries/tests.

Integration with Data Products, Analytics & AI/ML

Ensure TDS ontologies serve as foundational assets enabling knowledge graphs, data products, advanced analytics, and AI/ML workflows—mirroring the AI‑readiness focus in technical roles.
Partner with Data Engineering and Data Architecture teams to embed semantic layers into data pipelines and metadata systems.
Support automation of classification, normalization, and entity linking using ML/NLP techniques.

Collaboration & Cross‑Functional Engagement

Work with SMEs across Process Development, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Digital/Data Science to capture domain semantics and validate ontology structures.
Participate in broader enterprise communities of practice advancing data standardization, interoperability, and ontology reuse.
Engage stakeholders to understand business needs, communicate semantic designs, and ensure fit‑for‑purpose delivery—reflecting cross‑functional expectations in data strategy roles.

Qualifications

Required

Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Life Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, or related field.
3–5+ years of hands‑on experience in ontology engineering, knowledge modeling, semantic standards, or knowledge graph development, consistent with expectations in semantic technology roles.
Proficiency with OWL, RDF(S), SKOS, SHACL, SPARQL, ontology design patterns, and reasoning workflows.
Experience with graph databases (e.g., Neo4j, GraphDB, etc).
Strong skills in analytical problem solving, requirements gathering, and translating discussions with SMEs into semantic structures.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and deliver high‑quality outcomes.

Preferred

Experience with biopharmaceutical development, GMP manufacturing, quality systems, or supply chain data.
Familiarity with standards such as ISA‑88/95, GS1, HL7/FHIR, or manufacturing‑oriented ontologies.
Familiarity with ML/NLP techniques for metadata extraction, classification, or ontology enrichment.
Understanding of enterprise data platforms, metadata systems, and knowledge graph architectures.

Why This Role Is Unique

This is a rare opportunity to grow in one of the world’s most ambitious and fastest-growing Pharma R&D Data Science organizations, shaping how TDS data powers next‑generation therapies in the largest biomedical company on the planet. Your work will directly accelerate Johnson & Johnson’s scientific discovery, fuel AI innovation, and impact patients globally.

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.

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Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

Advanced Analytics, Coaching, Critical Thinking, Data Analysis, Data Privacy Standards, Data Quality, Data Reporting, Data Savvy, Data Science, Data Visualization, Digital Fluency, Econometric Models, Organizing, Process Improvements, Strategic Thinking, Technical Credibility, Workflow Analysis

Principal Scientist - R&D DSDH Ontology Developer TDS Therapeutics Development & Supply (TDS)

Job description

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