Sr Manager R&D Mechanical Engineering

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 137,000 - 236,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine in Boston, MA (or Grenoble, France) seeks a Sr Manager R&D Mechanical Engineering to lead a global team developing orthopedic robotic systems.

You will own mechanical architecture, DFx, prototype delivery, and verification/validation while partnering with systems, software, electronics, clinical, quality, and regulatory functions to bring products from concept to production.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Biomedical Engineering or related field.
• 3+ years of people leadership experience (managing engineers/teams).
• Experience designing electromechanical systems: actuators, gear trains, bearings, transmissions, mechanisms, and precision assemblies.
• Strong CAD skills (SolidWorks, Creo or equivalent), GD&T, tolerance analysis, rapid prototyping.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow a global mechanical R&D team across USA and France.
• Define mechanical architecture for robotic platforms and subsystems.
• Translate clinical/product requirements into detailed mechanical designs and specifications.
• Deliver prototypes and production-ready designs on schedule and budget.
• Establish robust verification/validation plans and support testing programs.
• Ensure designs meet medical device quality and regulatory expectations (ISO 13485, 21 CFR 820).
• Collaborate with supply chain and manufacturing for DFM/DFM reviews and ramp to production.
• Lead cross-functional design reviews and manage project budgets and resources.

Skills

Collaboration

Leadership

Project management

Mechanical engineering

Design thinking

Cross-functional influence

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Biomedical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Creo

CAD

GD&T

PDM/PLM (SAP PLM)

Job description

Job Function

R&D Product Development

Job Sub Function

R&D Mechanical Engineering

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 Sr Manager R&D Mechanical Engineering to be based out of Boston, Massachusetts, USA or Grenoble, France with in office expectations of a minimum of 3 days per week.

Purpose

Lead and grow a high-performing mechanical engineering team to develop current products and next-generation orthopedic robotic systems for the Joints robotics group. You will own mechanical architecture, design-for-manufacturability, prototype delivery, and some mechanical verification/validation while partnering closely with systems, software, electronics, clinical, quality, and regulatory functions to bring safe, effective robotic products from concept to production.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and grow a global mechanical R&D team. Drive hiring, performance management, and career development. team currently split between USA and France.
• Define mechanical system and sub-system architecture for robotic platforms.
• Translate clinical and product requirements into detailed mechanical designs, specifications, DFx, and engineering change controls.
• The role includes some hands-on part in parallel to people leadership.
• Deliver prototypes and production-ready designs on program schedule and budget; manage trade-offs between performance, cost, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Establish and drive robust verification & validation plans (unit, subsystem, system testing) and support clinical and bench testing programs.
• Ensure design outputs meet medical device quality and regulatory expectations (risk management, FMEA, design history file requirements, ISO 13485, FDA 21 CFR 820 familiarity).
• Partner with supply chain and manufacturing to qualify suppliers, support DFM/DFM reviews, ramp to production, and transfer designs to operations.
• Lead cross-functional design reviews and provide clear technical decision-making; elevate and mitigate technical and schedule risks.
• Manage project budgets, resource planning, and deliverable tracking for assigned programs.

Qualifications

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Biomedical Engineering, or related field.
• 3+ years of people leadership experience (managing engineers/teams).
• Demonstrated experience designing electromechanical systems: actuators, gear trains, bearings, transmissions, mechanisms, and precision assemblies.
• Strong hands‑on experience with CAD (SolidWorks, Creo or equivalent), GD&T, tolerance analysis, and rapid prototyping techniques.
• Track record of taking products from concept through verification and transfer to manufacturing.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to influence cross‑functional and executive stakeholders.

Preferred qualifications

• 10+ years of hands‑on mechanical design experience, with minimum 5 years in medical device or robotics product development.
• Direct experience in surgical robotics, orthopaedics, or other implantable medical systems.
• Solid understanding of medical device design controls, risk management (FMEA), and verification/validation processes.
• Familiarity with actuators (electric, harmonic drives, motors), position/safety sensors, cable‑driven systems, and sterile field considerations.
• Experience with regulatory submissions and design history file preparation.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes relevant to medtech (micro‑machining, injection molding, precision assembly, surface treatments, sterilization constraints).
• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in relevant technical area.
• Experience working with global, matrixed organizations and cross‑site teams.

Core competencies and leadership behaviors

• Strategic thinker with bias for clear technical decisions and delivery.
• Strong coach/mentor with focus on developing engineers and building inclusive teams.
• Results‑driven, accountable, and comfortable navigating ambiguity.
• Collaborative: builds alignment across engineering, clinical, quality, and operations.
• Customer‑focused: prioritizes safety, clinical utility, and surgeon experience.

Travel

• Some travel, domestic and international to be expected (supplier sites, manufacturing transfers, clinical support).

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.

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 Section 503 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, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers , internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

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Required Skills

Collaboration, Contract Management, Design Thinking, Developing Others, Fact-Based Decision Making, Feasibility Studies, Inclusive Leadership, Leadership, Mechanical Engineering, Product Development, Project Management Methodology (PMM), Research and Development, Resource Allocation, SAP Product Lifecycle Management, Scope Management, Team Management, Technical Credibility, Vendor Management

Preferred Skills

Collaboration, Contract Management, Design Thinking, Developing Others, Fact-Based Decision Making, Feasibility Studies, Inclusive Leadership, Leadership, Mechanical Engineering, Product Development, Project Management Methodology (PMM), Research and Development, Resource Allocation, SAP Product Lifecycle Management, Scope Management, Team Management, Technical Credibility, Vendor Management

The anticipated base pay range for this position is :

$137,000.00 - $235,750.00

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