Principal R&D Project Manager

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 117,000 - 201,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine is seeking a Principal R&D Project Manager to lead navigation platform initiatives from Boston, MA and France. You will drive integrated planning, budgeting, and cross-functional execution across software, hardware, V&V, clinical, quality, and regulatory teams.

You will manage phase-gate readiness, evidence packages, and stakeholder communications while coordinating agile sprints and hardware work packages.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Life Sciences, or related field.
• 5+ years of project management experience in regulated class II medical device, robotics, or software-enabled products.
• Experience with phase-gate execution and design controls in a QMS environment (FDA 21 CFR 820.30 / ISO 13485).

Responsibilities

• Own project planning and baseline management for Navigation projects (WBS & IMS).
• Manage schedule execution, critical path, milestones, and weekly status updates.
• Own the project budget baseline; track actuals/forecasts; support EVM tracking.
• Maintain RAID log with proactive mitigation; escalate risks and decisions.
• Lead weekly core team meetings; drive action/decision tracking.
• Drive design controls and DDP execution with evidence packages for regulatory and quality.
• Plan phase-gate readiness and toll-gate submissions; ensure documentation readiness.
• Manage change requests and ensure governance compliance.
• Drive resource demand, capacity planning, and resolve conflicts with leadership.
• Coordinate hybrid execution cadence (Agile sprints + hardware work) with Scrum Master and leads.
• Oversee vendor/contractor deliverables and procurement tracking per SOW/PO/PCARD.
• Execute assigned projects and provide data-driven recommendations; close projects with lessons learned.

Skills

Phase-gate execution

Agile/SAFe

Cross-functional leadership

Budget baselining

Earned value management

Stakeholder management

Project planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/CS/Life Sciences

Tools

MS Project

Smartsheet

Planisware

Jira/Azure DevOps

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:

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; escal 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 Affilliative 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

Required 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

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.

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 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