Principal Engineer, Early Innovation R&D

6045-Ethicon Inc. Legal Entity; Raritan Township (ND); On-site; USD 117,000 - 201,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Long‑term incentive program

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson MedTech Surgery is seeking a Principal Engineer to join the R&D Innovation & Partnerships team at the Raritan, NJ site. The role focuses on identifying external technologies, translating clinical needs into system-level requirements, and advancing high-potential technologies through feasibility, prototyping, and early development.

You will collaborate across R&D, Marketing, Business Development, Clinical, Regulatory, and Quality to support portfolio decisions and accelerate

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s level degree in systems/EE/mechanical/electromechanical/biomedical or related field.
• Experience with regulated medical device development and design controls.
• Strong ability to communicate complex technical info to leaders and teams.

Responsibilities

• Identify external technologies and partnerships aligned to MedTech Surgery strategy.
• Conduct due diligence on startups, licensing opportunities, and collaborations.
• Develop technology landscapes and evidence summaries across surgical/engineered systems spaces.
• Translate insights into requirements, architectures, risks, and recommendations.
• Engage clinicians and external partners to maintain a robust innovation pipeline.
• Lead front-end innovation activities from discovery to prototype evaluation and feasibility.
• Collaborate to advance opportunities from assessment to development programs.
• Prepare technical assessments and business cases for leadership.

Skills

Coaching

Critical Thinking

Innovation

MBSE

Organizing

Project Management

Requirements Analysis

R&D

SAP PLM

Scripting Languages

Software Development Mgmt

SDLC

Technical Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related technical discipline

Tools

SAP PLM

Job description

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 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: R&D Software/Systems Engineering Job Category: Scientific/Technology All Job Posting Locations: Raritan, New Jersey, United States of America

Job Description: Johnson & Johnson MedTech Surgery is currently seeking a Principal Engineer to join our R&D Innovation & Partnerships team located onsite at our Raritan, NJ location. #LI-Onsite 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. Your unique talents will help patients on their journey to wellness. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/medtech

JOB SUMMARY

This role will help shape the next generation of surgical, wound closure, digitally enabled, and engineered system solutions by identifying and assessing external innovation, translating clinical and customer unmet needs into system-level requirements, and advancing high-potential technologies through structured due diligence, concept generation, feasibility planning and assessment, and early development. The Principal Engineer will partner across R&D, Global Strategic Marketing, Business Development, Clinical, Medical Affairs, Regulatory, Quality, Supply Chain, Digital, and external partners to support portfolio decisions and accelerate meaningful innovation for patients and customers.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Identify, assess, and recommend external technologies, platforms, and partnership opportunities aligned to J&J MedTech Surgery’s Wound Closure & Healing strategy and innovation pipeline.
• Conduct technical due diligence on startups, academic innovations, licensing opportunities, and strategic collaborations, including evaluation of clinical need, technical feasibility, intellectual property, regulatory pathway, quality considerations, scalability, and strategic fit.
• Develop technology landscapes, target scans, competitive intelligence, and evidence summaries across priority surgical, wound closure, engineered systems, electromechanical, connected device, automation, sensing, software, and digital solution spaces.
• Translate customer, clinical, workflow, and technology insights into problem statements, user needs, system requirements, subsystem requirements, architecture considerations, risk profiles, and evidence-based recommendations.
• Engage clinicians, key opinion leaders, academic collaborators, suppliers, incubators, accelerators, and external innovation partners to maintain a robust innovation pipeline.
• Lead front-end innovation activities, including customer discovery, unmet need definition, opportunity framing, concept generation, system architecture exploration, feasibility planning, prototype evaluation, integration testing, and proof-of-concept execution.
• Partner cross-functionally to advance opportunities from assessment through technology de-risking, system integration, prototype builds, verification strategy, and transition to formal product development, as appropriate.
• Prepare and communicate technical assessments, business cases, risk profiles, and recommendations to senior leaders and governance forums to support portfolio prioritization and investment decisions.
• Follow all applicable laws and regulations, J&J policies and procedures, design control expectations, quality system requirements, health, safety, and environmental practices.
• Up to 20% travel may be required.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electromechanical Engineering, Robotics, Biomedical Engineering, or a related technical discipline is required. A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in medical device R&D, systems engineering, electromechanical product development, connected devices, digital health, software-enabled products, advanced engineering, external innovation, or related technical roles is required. Experience leading front-end innovation activities, including customer discovery, unmet need definition, concept development, architecture definition, feasibility testing, prototype development, technical de-risking, and transition to development programs is required. Experience evaluating external technologies and partners, conducting technical due diligence, and making evidence-based recommendations is required. Working knowledge of medical device design controls, systems engineering, risk management, verification and validation, requirements management, quality systems, and regulated product development is required. Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical, clinical, and business information clearly to senior leaders, clinicians, technical teams, and external partners is required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES, CERTIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

Advanced degree in systems engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, electromechanical engineering, robotics, biomedical engineering, or a related technical discipline is preferred. Experience with engineered medical systems, electromechanical platforms, connected medical devices, sensors, actuation, automation, software-driven products, data platforms, AI/ML-enabled solutions, digital health technologies, or clinical decision support tools is preferred. Experience integrating hardware, software, sensing, data, user interface, and disposable or device components into regulated medical device systems is preferred. Prior experience in strategic partnerships or external innovation is preferred Design Excellence, Six Sigma, TRIZ, Design Thinking, Stanford Biodesign, or other structured innovation and problem-solving methodology experience Active network within medical device engineering, digital health, connected device, software, automation, robotics, health technology, or relevant startup ecosystems.

Benefits Summary

• Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company sponsored employee benefit programs: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, business accident insurance, and group legal insurance.
• Employees may be 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.
• Employees are eligible for the following time off benefits: Vacation – up to 120 hours per calendar year Sick time - up to 40 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Washington – up to 56 hours per calendar year Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays – up to 13 days per calendar year Work, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 hours per calendar year Additional information can be found through the link below! https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits

Required Skills: Preferred Skills:

Coaching, Critical Thinking, Innovation, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Organizing, Project Management, Report Writing, Requirements Analysis, Research and Development, Researching, SAP Product Lifecycle Management, Scripting Languages, Software Acquisitions, Software Development Management, Software Engineering Practices, Software Quality Assurance (SQA), Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Technologically Savvy, Training People

Salary and Benefits

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

Additional 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.

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/.