Principal R&D Project Manager

Brighter Signals; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 117,000 - 201,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation 120h

Sick leave 40h

Holiday pay 13 days

Parental Leave 480h

Bereavement Leave 240h

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson is seeking a Principal R&D Project Manager for its Orthopaedics Navigation Platform. The role is based in Boston, MA and Gières, France, and involves planning, budgeting, and cross-functional leadership across software, systems, V&V, clinical, quality, and regulatory teams.

The candidate will drive phase-gate readiness and disciplined design controls, deliver integrated master schedules, and manage RAID. Strong stakeholder communication and Agile/SAFe experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Life Sciences, or related field.
• 5+ years of project management experience within regulated class II and product development environments (medical device, robotics, navigation, or software-enabled products preferred).
• Experience with phase-gate execution and design controls documentation in a QMS environment. Deep understanding of regulated medical device product development and phase-gate execution, including FDA 21 CFR 820.30 / ISO 13485 design controls.
• Experience managing complex, cross-functional programs across software, systems, and hardware, including integrated planning across requirements, architecture, V&V, clinical, quality, and regulatory deliverables.
• Demonstrated technical problem-solving leadership
• Excellent knowledge of Agile, Lean, SAFe, or hybrid execution models.
• Strong project controls and financial acumen including budget baselining, forecasting, earned value management (EVM) concepts, and data-driven performance reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage integrated schedules (IMS/WBS), critical path, and dependency mapping across cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency with project management tooling (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Planisware/Cadence PPM, Jira/Azure DevOps) and documentation practices.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills; ability to produce clear dashboards, executive updates, and decision briefs.
• Experience operating in Agile/SAFe or hybrid delivery models; ability to drive project resource and schedule planning
• Strong in RAID management and structured escalation; ability to drive mitigation actions and decisions to closure.
• Strong in project controls including budget baselining, forecasting, and earned value management (EVM) concepts.

Responsibilities

• Own project planning and baseline management for Navigation projects, including charters, scope baseline, WBS, and IMS.
• Manage schedule execution, critical path tracking, milestone readiness, and weekly status to leadership.
• Own budget baseline, track actuals/forecasts, and perform EVM tracking; support reviews and funding decisions.
• Maintain RAID log with proactive mitigation; escalate risks and decisions across platforms.
• Lead weekly core team meetings; drive action tracking and follow-through.
• Drive design controls and DDP execution; ensure evidence packages meet regulatory/quality expectations.
• Plan phase-gate readiness activities and toll-gate submissions (regulatory readiness, risk status).
• Manage change requests and ensure governance-compliant documentation.
• Drive resource planning with functional leaders; resolve conflicts and mitigation plans.
• Support hybrid execution cadence (Agile sprints + hardware work) with Scrum Master and leads.
• Coordinate vendor/contractor deliverables and procurement tracking; ensure alignment with schedule/quality.
• Execute assigned projects and provide data-driven recommendations.
• Lead closure activities including lessons learned and transition to operations.
• Provide dashboards and stakeholder updates; manage escalations through closure.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/CS/Life Sciences

Tools

MS Project

Smartsheet

Planisware/Cadence PPM

Jira/Azure DevOps

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

Job Function

R&D Product Development

Job Sub Function

Robotics

Job Category

People Leader

All Job Posting Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America

Job Description

About Orthopaedics

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 Orthopaedics? Ready to join a team that’s reimagining how we heal? Our Orthopaedics teams help keep more than 6 million people moving each year while delivering clinical and economic value to surgeons and healthcare systems. Our teams build solutions for joint reconstruction; trauma and craniomaxillofacial; sports, extremities, and elective foot and ankle; spine; and robotics and digital surgery.

Your unique talents will help patients on their journey to wellness. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/medtech

We are searching for the best talent for Principal R&D Project Manager to be based out of Boston, MA and Gieres, France.

Purpose

The Principal R&D Project Manager – Navigation Platform is responsible for planning and executing assigned projects within the Navigation platform in Digital R&D, ensuring delivery against scope, schedule, cost, and quality in a regulated medical device environment. Reporting to the Platform Program Manager – Navigation, this role owns the project-level integrated plan (WBS/IMS), project budget baseline and EVM tracking, project RAID management, change control, and stakeholder communications. The Project Manager coordinates cross-functional execution across software, systems, V&V, clinical, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing partners, and drives disciplined design controls and phase-gate readiness to enable predictable delivery outcomes.

Job Responsibilities

• Own project planning and baseline management for assigned Navigation projects, including project charter, scope baseline, WBS, and an integrated master schedule aligned to the platform program plan.
• Manage project schedule execution, critical path tracking, milestone readiness, and schedule recovery actions; maintain and communicate weekly status to the platform leadership team.
• Own the project budget baseline, track actuals and forecasts, and perform earned value management (EVM) tracking; provide inputs for program-level financial reviews and funding decisions.
• Maintain the project RAID log (risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies) with proactive mitigation actions; elevate cross-project or platform-level risks and decisions through the Platform Program Manager.
• Lead weekly project core team meetings, drive action/decision tracking, and ensure timely follow-through across cross-functional contributors.
• Drive disciplined design controls and Design & Development Planning (DDP) execution, ensuring required evidence packages and reviews support regulatory and quality expectations.
• Plan and drives phase-gate readiness activities and toll-gate submissions (schedule, documentation, V&V readiness, risk status, and stakeholder alignment).
• Manage project change requests (scope/schedule/cost) and ensure changes are reviewed, approved, and documented per governance and change control expectations.
• Drives project resource demand and capacity planning with functional leaders; surface and resolve resource conflicts and negotiate mitigation plans or escalations as needed.
• Support hybrid execution cadence (Agile sprints + hardware work packages) by coordinating sprint planning inputs, backlog readiness, and integration dependencies with the Scrum Master, Software Lead, and technical leads.
• Coordinate vendor/contractor deliverables and procurement tracking (SOW/PO/PCARD) in partnership with PM Operations and Finance; ensure supplier work aligns to schedule, quality, and deliverables.
• Executes assigned project(s) and provides data-driven recommendations and inputs.
• Leads project closure activities including lessons learned, final reporting, and transition to sustaining/operations as applicable.
• Provide transparent project dashboards and stakeholder communications (status, KPIs, risks, decisions, and next milestones), and initiate/manage project escalations through closure when required.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Life Sciences, or related field.
• 5+ years of project management experience within regulated class II andproduct development environments (medical device, robotics, navigation, or software-enabled products preferred).
• Experience with phase-gate execution and design controls documentation in a QMS environment. Deep understanding of regulated medical device product development and phase-gate execution, including FDA 21 CFR 820.30 / ISO 13485 design controls.
• Experience managing complex, cross-functional programs across software, systems, and hardware, including integrated planning across requirements, architecture, V&V, clinical, quality, and regulatory deliverables.
• Demonstrated technical problem-solving leadership
• Excellent knowledge of Agile, Lean, SAFe, or hybrid execution models.
• Strong project controls and financial acumen including budget baselining, forecasting, earned value management (EVM) concepts, and data-driven performance reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage integrated schedules (IMS/WBS), critical path, and dependency mapping across cross-functional teams.
• Proficiency with project management tooling (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Planisware/Cadence PPM, Jira/Azure DevOps) and documentation practices.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills; ability to produce clear dashboards, executive updates, and decision briefs.
• Experience operating in Agile/SAFe or hybrid delivery models; ability to drive project resource and schedule planning
• Strong in RAID management and structured escalation; ability to drive mitigation actions and decisions to closure.
• Strong in project controls including budget baselining, forecasting, and earned value management (EVM) concepts.

Preferred

• Experience with Class II or Class III medical devices, robotics, navigation, or software-enabled products.

Johnson & Johnson announced plans to separate our Orthopaedics business to establish a standalone Orthopaedics company, operating as DePuy Synthes. The process of the planned separation is anticipated to be completed within 18 to 24 months, subject to legal requirements, including consultation with works councils and other employee representative bodies, as may be required, regulatory approvals and other customary conditions and approvals.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Johnson & Johnson is an affirmative action and 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, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability.

For more information on how we support the whole health of our employees throughout their wellness, career, and life journey, please visit www.careers.jnj.com

Preferred Skills:

Computer Programming, Consulting, Critical Thinking, Data-Driven Decision Making, Data Science, Developing Others, Inclusive Leadership, Industry Analysis, Innovation, Leadership, Manufacturing Technologies, Product Knowledge, Prototyping, Quality Assurance (QA), Research and Development, Robotic Automation, SAP Product Lifecycle Management, Team Management

The anticipated base pay range for this position is :

$117,000.00 - $201,250.00

Additional Description For Pay Transparency

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.

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 period10 days
• Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year
• Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year

For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: - https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits