Head of Navigation R&D Digital

Biopharma Careers; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 196,000 - 343,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

401(k) plan

Long‑term incentive

Generous time‑off benefits

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedics is hiring a Sr. Director of Navigation located in Raynham or Boston, MA. Lead software and systems engineering for intra‑operative navigation, coordinating embedded, edge and cloud components to deliver clinician‑grade navigation capabilities.

You will own the multi‑year navigation roadmap, architect real‑time stacks, lead AI teams, and drive MLOps, verification, and regulatory alignment in a regulated medical device environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years SW/systems experience with ~5+ years in navigation/perception or related systems; experience shipping production navigation or perception software.
• Strong C/C++ and Python, real‑time middleware (ROS/ROS2, DDS or equivalent), sensor fusion, SLAM/VO, 3D registration, and simulation tooling.
• Practical experience with software design controls for regulated products (IEC 62304, ISO 13485, ISO 14971).
• Experience with SBOM, cybersecurity for medical devices, and cloud/edge orchestration.

Responsibilities

• Own multi‑year navigation SW & systems roadmap and drive delivery to product milestones.
• Architect real‑time navigation stacks and partition deterministic control loops from non‑real‑time services.
• Lead SW, algorithm and AI teams to productionize perception pipelines.
• Build and operate simulation/digital‑twin and synthetic data pipelines for validation and regression testing.
• Define non‑functional requirements (accuracy budgets, latency, availability) and verification strategies.
• Integrate MLOps for model training, validation, deployment controls, and in‑field monitoring.
• Partner with QA/RA to deliver software evidence, risk controls and regulatory inputs; qualify navigation software suppliers/SDKs.

Skills

C/C++

Python

ROS/ROS2

sensor fusion

SLAM/VO

3D registration

simulation tooling

real‑time middleware

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science, Robotics, Systems or equivalent

Tools

ROS/ROS2

DDS

GPU acceleration

Job description

Johnson & JohnsonPosted October 23, 2026# Head of Navigation R&D DigitalBoston, United States Full timeData & DigitalNotify me about similar jobsView Full Job & Apply at Johnson & JohnsonJohnson & 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 opportunityAt 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.comAs 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:**R&D Digital**Job Category:**People Leader**All Job Posting Locations:**Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, United States of America, Raynham, Massachusetts, United States of America, Warsaw, Indiana, United States of America, West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States of America**Job Description:**Fueled by innovation at the intersection of science, technology, and surgical workflow, Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedics is advancing the next generation of solutions to keep patients moving. We are focused on delivering smarter, less invasive, and more personalized orthopedic care, grounded in clinical evidence and enabled by biologics, implants, instruments, enabling technologies, and data‐driven insights.Our Orthopaedics teams help more than 6 million patients move each year, partnering with surgeons and healthcare systems worldwide to deliver meaningful clinical outcomes, operational efficiency & reproducibility combined with sustainable economic value. Across joint reconstruction; trauma and craniomaxillofacial; sports, extremities, and elective foot and ankle; spine; and robotics and digital surgery, we bring together deep domain expertise and scalable platforms to redefine standards of care.If you are passionate about expanding what’s possible in orthopedics, your talents can help shape the future of musculoskeletal health and support patients throughout their journey to recovery and renewed mobility. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/medtech .We are searching for the best talent to join our Orthopedic team as Sr. Director of Navigation located in Raynham or Boston MA. Other DPS locations will be considered. The Sr. Director of Navigation will report to the VP Digital R&D Orthopedics.**Role summary**Lead software and systems engineering for intra‐operative navigation: localization, registration, sensor fusion, and orchestration across embedded, edge and cloud components. Act as the primary navigation partner to robotics, clinical, and regulatory teams to deliver deterministic, clinician‐grade navigation capabilities.**Core responsibilities**Own multi‐year navigation SW & systems roadmap and drive delivery to product milestones.Architect real‐time navigation stacks and partition deterministic control loops from non‐real‐time services.Lead SW, algorithm and AI teams to productionize perception pipelines.Build and operate simulation/digital‐twin and synthetic data pipelines for validation and regression testing.Establish IEC 62304‐aligned software lifecycle, CI/CD for embedded + cloud, automated test harnesses, and traceability.Define non‐functional requirements (accuracy budgets, latency, availability, robustness) and verification strategies.Integrate MLOps for model training, validation, deployment controls, and in‐field monitoring.Partner with QA/RA to deliver software evidence, risk controls and regulatory inputs; qualify navigation software suppliers/SDKs.Partner with technology partners for co-developmentKey qualifications (must‐have)BS/MS in Computer Science, Robotics, Systems or equivalent.10+ years SW/systems experience with ~5+ years in navigation/perception or related systems; experience shipping production navigation or perception software.Strong C/C++ and Python, real‐time middleware (ROS/ROS2, DDS or equivalent), sensor fusion, SLAM/VO, 3D registration, and simulation tooling.Practical experience with software design controls for regulated products (IEC 62304, ISO 13485, ISO 14971).PreferredSurgical/orthopedics navigation experience, GPU/accelerator optimization, and ML model lifecycle in regulated contexts.Experience with SBOM, cybersecurity for medical devices, and cloud/edge orchestration.Leadership attributesSystems thinker with hands‐on credibility; mentors senior engineers, builds cross‐disciplinary trust, and navigates clinical/regulatory constraints.Collaborates globally with external partners and sales regionsJohnson & 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 and 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:****The anticipated base pay range for this position is :**$196,000.00 - $342,700.00Additional Description for Pay Transparency:The Company maintains highly competitive, performance-based compensation programs. Under current guidelines, this position is eligible for an annual performance bonus in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan. The annual performance bonus is a cash bonus intended to provide an incentive to achieve annual targeted results by rewarding for individual and the corporation’s performance over a calendar/performance year. Bonuses are awarded at the Company’s discretion on an individual basis.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 yearSick 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 yearHoliday pay, including Floating Holidays –13 days per calendar yearWork, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 hours per calendar yearParental Leave – 480 hours within one year of the birth/adoption/foster care of a childBereavement Leave – 240 hours for an immediate family member: 40 hours for an extended family member per calendar yearCaregiver Leave – 80 hours in a 52-week rolling period10 daysVolunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar yearMilitary Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar yearFor additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: - https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits