Experienced Automation and Robotics Engineer

6084-Janssen Research & Development, LLC Legal Entity; Spring House (PA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson in Spring House, PA seeks an Experienced Automation and Robotics Engineer to design, integrate, and optimize automated workcells for discovery science. You will own physical interfaces, coordinate with scientists and vendors, conduct FAT/SAT, and help ensure safe, reliable operation of robotic systems in a regulated lab setting.

Travel may be required. Applicants should have an engineering degree with 3+ years (or 2+ with MS, 1+ with PhD) in robotics or automation and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Automation, Robotics, Mechatronic, or related field.
• 3+ years experience (or 2+ with Master, 1+ with PhD) in automation/robotics.
• Strong knowledge of robotics, sensors, actuators, and instrumentation.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy robotic workcells and fixtures for automated discovery systems.
• Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, robotic, and control issues with scientists and vendors.
• Support FAT/SAT, interface testing, and vendor follow-up.

Skills

Robotics

Automation

Controls

System integration

Troubleshooting

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

PLCs

Robot controllers

AMRs

Cobots

CAD

Job description

Company Overview

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

R&D Product Development

Job Sub Function

Robotics

Job Category

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations

Spring House, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Job Description

About Innovative Medicine: 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. 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

We are searching for the best talent for an Experienced Automation and Robotics Engineer to be located in Spring House, PA.

Purpose: The Experienced Automation and Robotics Engineer provides hands‑on engineering depth for integrated workcells. The role connects instruments, robots, sensors, transfer mechanisms, guarding, utilities, and basic control interfaces so scientific workflows can run reliably in automated form. The Engineer will design, configure, test, troubleshoot, and improve the physical automation and robotics components of integrated discovery workcells. This role complements laboratory automation scientists by owning physical feasibility, robot motion, equipment integrations, controls handshakes, safety behavior, serviceability, layout constraints, and technical vendor follow‑up for assigned systems. At this level the engineer begins to own defined physical integration packages, rather than simply supporting assigned tasks. The role contributes to interface definitions, FAT/SAT execution, safety and serviceability reviews, and remediation of physical, mechanical, and controls‑related failure modes.

Responsibilities

• Physical System Design and Integration
  • Contributing to the design and deployment of robotic workcells, transfer stations, labware nests, custom fixtures, grippers, guards, sensors, actuators, label/barcode presentation points, and automated peripherals.
  • Supporting robot reach studies, equipment layouts, service envelope reviews, deck access assessments, operator intervention points, and physical interface testing between instruments and workcells.
  • Supporting integration between orchestration software, device drivers, robot controllers, PLCs or safety controllers, sensors, instrument PCs, and IT/OT infrastructure.
  • Authoring or contributing to URS, FDS, SDS review comments, interface control notes, FMEA inputs, FAT/SAT protocols, safety test scripts, commissioning records, and punch‑list documentation.
• Troubleshooting, Reliability, and Recovery
  • Troubleshooting mechanical, electrical, robotic, control, sensor, barcode, utility, and device communication issues in collaboration with laboratory automation scientists, vendors, IT/OT, and operations.
  • Supporting root cause analysis for equipment faults, transfer failures, safety trips, barcode or sensor issues, lost labware position, service access problems, and physical workflow interruptions.
  • Recommending and implementing improvements that increase reliability, maintainability, serviceability, physical workflow robustness, and recovery from machine‑side exceptions.
  • Supporting development of practical recovery instructions for physical jams, robot faults, device alarms, and safe re‑start after operator or maintenance intervention.
• Simulation, Safety, and Vendor Support
  • Contributing to layout, throughput, traffic, robot path, and service access simulation to identify bottlenecks, facility constraints, and unsafe or impractical physical designs before installation.
  • Supporting vendor FAT/SAT activities for physical, control, safety, and recovery behavior, not only nominal workflow execution.
  • Working with Tier 1 and Tier 2 vendors to clarify assumptions, interfaces, installation readiness, utility needs, access constraints, and remediation actions.
  • Collaborating with EHS, facilities, laboratory operations, and lab automation scientists to ensure safety, biosafety, waste handling, serviceability, and contamination‑control expectations are reflected in system design.
• Additional Responsibilities
  • Support technology evaluations, proof‑of‑concept studies, design reviews, and vendor demonstrations for future automation and robotics capabilities.
  • Contribute to engineering standards, interface templates, safety review practices, maintenance guidelines, and technical playbooks.
  • Support audit, inspection, or quality documentation requests where automated systems intersect with regulated or quality driven workflows.
  • Participate in lessons learned and continuous improvement activities to improve future automation delivery.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Education: A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Automation, Robotics, Mechatronic, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field is required. An advanced degree is preferred.
• Experience and Skills: Required: Bachelor’s degree with 3+ years, Master’s degree with 2+ years, or a PhD with 1+ years of relevant automation, robotics, controls, or equipment integration experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of robotics, automation, electromechanical systems, controls hardware, sensors, actuators, and instrumentation appropriate to the level of the role.
• Ability to work with laboratory automation scientists to translate scientific workflow constraints into safe, maintainable, and physically executable machinery, interfaces, and workcell layouts.
• Working knowledge of technical documentation, drawings, equipment lists, interface notes, FAT/SAT/UAT records, FMEA inputs, punch lists, and change summaries.
• Strong troubleshooting discipline across mechanical, electrical, robotic, control, safety, communication, and instrument interface issues.
• Awareness of EHS, biosafety, contamination control, service access, guard/interlock concepts, and operational readiness expectations in a research laboratory or regulated environment.
• Ability to contribute independently to physical interface design, integration testing, troubleshooting, documentation, and vendor follow‑up.
• Preferred: Experience with PLCs, robot controllers, AMRs, cobots, machine vision, industrial networks, OPC UA, Ethernet/IP, PROFINET, safety PLCs, or device drivers.
• Experience with simulation, CAD, digital twin, throughput modeling, robot path modeling, or layout planning tools.
• Experience supporting outsourced technical projects and vendor deliverables such as URS, FDS, SDS, FAT, SAT, FMEA, risk assessments, and punch‑list closure.
• Other: Travel may be required for vendor assessments, FAT/SAT activities, site visits, system builds, workshops, training, technology scouting, or cross‑site deployment support.

Why Join Us

This role supports the transition from isolated automation projects to integrated, reliable, AI‑native, and ultimately self‑driving discovery laboratory systems. The work helps connect scientific intent with robust physical execution, reproducible data, model feedback, and scalable operational capability.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.

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.

Preferred Skills

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 https://www.jnj.com/.

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