Manager, External Innovation

6045-Ethicon Inc. Legal Entity; Raritan (NJ); Hybrid; USD 117,000 - 201,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Parental Leave

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson, headquartered in the United States, seeks a Manager, External Innovation - MedTech, located in Raritan, NJ with a hybrid schedule. You will scout technologies, evaluate partnerships, and lead technical due diligence to enable strategic collaborations and investments.

You will build relationships with external partners, manage vendor engagements, and coordinate with R&D, Regulatory, and Commercial teams to advance early-stage technology opportunities.

Qualifications

• PhD in a scientific or technical discipline is required.
• 6+ years of experience in medical device industry with end-to-end product development is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in external innovation (scouting, partnerships, licensing, collaborations) for early-to-mid-stage technologies is required.
• Proven ability to work at the interface of market and technology strategy, translating market needs into technical requirements and vice versa is required.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an external innovation strategy to identify high-potential technologies, startups, academic laboratories, and service providers aligned to commercial and technology targets.
• Lead technical due diligence for licensing, collaboration, and investment opportunities, partnering with cross‑functional stakeholders to prepare concise assessments for senior leadership.
• Design, coordinate, and execute evaluation frameworks to de-risk early‑stage technologies and inform go/no‑go decisions.
• Coordinate with cross‑functional teams to support external innovation initiatives and track portfolio metrics for reporting to leadership.

Skills

Compliance Management

Developing Others

Entrepreneurship

Inclusive Leadership

Leadership

Performance Measurement

Process Improvements

Product Development

Product Development Lifecycle

Product Strategies

Quality Assurance (QA)

Research and Development

Research Ethics

Resource Allocation

SAP Product Lifecycle Management

Team Management

Technical Credibility

Versatility

Education

PhD in a scientific or technical discipline

Tools

SAP Product Lifecycle Management

Job description

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

Multi-Family R&D Product Development

Job Category

People Leader

Job Posting Locations

Raritan, New Jersey, United States of America

Job Description

About Surgery Fueled by innovation at the intersection of biology and technology, we’re developing the next generation of smarter, less invasive, more personalized treatments. Are you passionate about improving and expanding the possibilities of surgery? Ready to join a team that’s reimagining how we heal? Our Surgery team will give you the chance to deliver surgical technologies and solutions to surgeons and healthcare professionals around the world. Your contributions will help effectively treat some of the world’s most prevalent conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Patients are waiting. Our business offers a broad range of products and technologies, including surgical staplers, clip appliers, trocars and sealing devices—that are used in a wide variety of minimally invasive and open surgical procedures. Your unique talents will help patients on their journey to wellness. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/medtech

Position Title

Manager, External Innovation - MedTech

Location and Schedule

Located in Raritan, NJ & will work a hybrid schedule with 3 days per week onsite.

Purpose

In this role, you will drive our external innovation strategy by scouting and evaluating new technologies and partnerships and leading technical due diligence for collaborations and investments. You will build and manage relationships with external partners, develop strategic roadmaps, and create evaluation frameworks that enable confident early‑stage technology decisions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an external innovation strategy to identify high‑potential technologies, startups, academic laboratories, and service providers aligned to commercial and technology targets.
• Evaluate external opportunities through an integrated technical and market lens (e.g., scientific validity, technology readiness, risk, timelines, and product market fit).
• Evaluate external opportunities using a combined technical and market view evaluating scientific validity, technology readiness, risks, timelines, product-market fit, etc.
• Lead technical due diligence for licensing, collaboration, and investment opportunities, partnering with cross‑functional stakeholders to prepare concise assessments for senior leadership.
• Design, coordinate, and execute evaluation frameworks (e.g., preclinical assays, invitro methods, or equivalent) to de‑risk early‑stage technologies and inform go/no‑go decisions.
• Manage external partnerships and vendors (e.g., CROs, contract developers, academic collaborators), including scopes of work, budgets, milestones, and governance.
• Coordinate with cross‑functional teams (e.g., R&D, Medical, Clinical, Regulatory, Commercial, BD, Legal) to support external innovation initiatives.
• Track and report portfolio metrics and outcomes for external collaborations and projects; identify and elevate risks, highlight opportunities, and monitor timelines and go/no‑go decisions.
• Map and maintain the external ecosystem; track market trends and competitor activity related to target areas and the portfolio.

Qualifications and Requirements

• PhD in a scientific or technical discipline (e.g., biology, chemistry, materials science, engineering, or related field) is required.
• Minimum 6+ years of experience in medical device industry with end‑to‑end product development is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in external innovation (scouting, partnerships, licensing, collaborations) for early‑to‑mid‑stage technologies is required.
• Proven ability to work at the interface of market and technology strategy, translating market needs into technical requirements and vice versa is required.
• Strong scientific judgment, with experience assessing technology fit, feasibility, and commercialization potential is required.
• Experience managing external vendors and collaborators, including defining scopes of work and overseeing execution is required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to produce clear technical and commercial materials for senior leadership.
• Ability to influence and lead cross‑functional teams without formal authority in a matrixed environment.
• Basic understanding of preclinical, clinical, and regulatory requirements to support 510(k) and PMA product submissions and approvals is preferred.
• Experience developing due diligence materials to support external opportunity evaluation is preferred.
• Experience leading a team through development and approval of a PMA medical device is preferred.
• Demonstrated track record of designing testing strategies and endpoints to evaluate early‑stage technology efficacy and safety is preferred.
• Experience building scientific communication packages that summarize results and support decision‑making is preferred.
• Demonstrated success influencing cross‑functional resource allocation and securing funding for priority initiatives is preferred.
• Will require up to 10% travel both international and domestic.

Equal Opportunity Statement

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 Section503 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, please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers or contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

Required Skills

Compliance Management, Developing Others, Entrepreneurship, Inclusive Leadership, Leadership, Performance Measurement, Process Improvements, Product Development, Product Development Lifecycle, Product Strategies, Quality Assurance (QA), Research and Development, Research Ethics, Resource Allocation, SAP Product Lifecycle Management, Team Management, Technical Credibility, Versatility

Preferred Skills

Compliance Management, Developing Others, Entrepreneurship, Inclusive Leadership, Leadership, Performance Measurement, Process Improvements, Product Development, Product Development Lifecycle, Product Strategies, Quality Assurance (QA), Research and Development, Research Ethics, Resource Allocation, SAP Product Lifecycle Management, Team Management, Technical Credibility, Versatility

Pay

The anticipated base pay range for this position is : $117,000.00 - $201,250.00

Benefits

• 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)).
• 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 period
• 10 days Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year
• Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year

Company Vision

At Johnson & Johnson,we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build aworld where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured,where treatments are smarter and less invasive, andsolutions 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/.