Staff Clinical Engineer

Johnson & Johnson Co.; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 109,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson's Orthopaedics team seeks a Staff Clinical Engineer based in Boston, MA or Raynham, MA with in‑office expectations of at least three days per week. You will partner with product development and clinicians to translate early ideas into clinically relevant, safer surgical robotics devices.

You will drive design through feasibility, prototyping, and validation, delivering clinical insights, risk analyses, and validation tests while collaborating across quality, systems, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Biomedical, Electrical, Robotics Engineering or related field required; Master’s or PhD preferred.
• 2–3 years hands‑on orthopaedic space R&D or surgical robotics/navigation experience.
• Experience with surgical robotics/computer assisted surgery and biomechanics.
• Strong problem‑solving, communication, and independent working skills.

Responsibilities

• Contribute clinical and technical expertise to ideation and early‑stage evaluation of novel design concepts.
• Support feasibility assessments and prototype development aligned with clinical needs and regulatory pathways.
• Prepare and deliver prototype and product demonstrations for internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to define patient journeys and product maps, and to drive clinical and operational needs.
• Lead hazard analyses and risk mapping to inform project scope and timelines.
• Analyze clinical workflows and environments to inform system concepts and architecture.
• Provide on‑site support during initial product commercialization and post‑market issues as needed.

Skills

Agility

Analytical Reasoning

Coaching

Collaboration

Critical Thinking

MBSE

Product Design

Report Writing

Requirements Analysis

Research & Development

SAP PLM

Scripting Languages

Software Architectures

Software Development Management

Software Engineering Practices

SQA

SDLC

Technologically Savvy

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Biomedical, Electrical, Robotics Engineering, or related technical discipline

Master’s or PhD preferred

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

R&D Software/Systems Engineering

Job Category

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations

Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Raynham, 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 Staff Clinical Engineer to be based out of Boston, Massachusetts, USA or Raynham, Massachusetts with in office expectations of a minimum of 3 days per week.

Purpose

The Staff Clinical Engineer will work closely with product development teams and clinicians to drive early‑stage ideas into high‑impact, clinically relevant devices and features that redefine surgical robotics and navigation for orthopedics. The Staff Clinical Engineer will accelerate the transfer of breakthrough technologies from concept to clinical application, ultimately improving patient outcomes and expanding market leadership. Their primary focus is to provide clinical and technical expertise to inform user needs, clinical requirements, and real‑world performance considerations in order to deliver safe, effective, and differentiated solutions. This role also supports other cross‑functional teams, external research institutions, and industry partners, acting as a catalyst for disruptive innovation and continuous product improvement by providing clinical and scientific expertise throughout the product lifecycle, ensuring post‑commercial performance meets the design intent.

Job Responsibilities

• Contribute clinical and technical expertise to the ideation, conceptualization, and early‑stage evaluation of novel design concepts.
• Support projects through feasibility assessment and prototype development, ensuring alignment with clinical needs and applicable regulatory pathways.
• Support the preparation and delivery of prototype and product demonstrations for internal stakeholders, customers, and external partners.

• Collaborate with HEMA, marketing, R&D and medical affairs to define the patient journey and product maps
• Drive clinical and operational quantitative needs to increase innovation value
• Lead the creation of clinical hazard analyses and procedure‑specific risk maps to inform project scope and streamline timelines.
• Stay at the forefront of Computer Assisted Orthopedic Surgery by evaluating emerging trends in surgical robotics, other navigated devices and emerging surgical techniques.

• Translate insights into actionable project goals and provide input to prototype development activities that maintain competitive advantage.

• Identify critical tasks, potential use errors, and hazardous situations in clinical contexts.
• Collaborate with systems engineering to design test methods, models, and metrics to ensure test protocols and validation activities reflect realistic clinical scenarios and user profiles.
• Analyze clinical workflows, environments, and pain points to inform system concepts and architecture.
• Conduct observation studies to identify pain points, inefficiency and complications.
• Gather Voice of the Clinician (VoC) and clinical insights to help identify unmet clinical needs and translate them into system‑level opportunities and requirements.

• Support Voice of Customer sessions with surgeons by preparing session materials and product or prototype demonstrations, facilitating structured feedback, and documenting actionable clinical insights.

• Collaborate with quality, systems and human factors engineering to conduct preclinical, formative, summative, and validation studies throughout the design process.
• Analyze complaints, field data, and adverse events from a clinical use perspective.
• Support Commercial Education teams in developing and delivering training programs for newly launched products.
• Provide on‑site support during initial product commercialization and the escalation of critical performance product complaints.
• Responsible for communicating business‑related issues or opportunities to next management level

Qualifications/Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Biomedical, Electrical, Robotics Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Master’s or PhD preferred, with a focus on medical device development, or related fields.
• Minimum of 2–3 years of hands‑on experience in the orthopaedic space is required (e.g., orthopaedic medical device R&D, clinical or field support, or surgical robotics/navigation for joint reconstruction), with a solid understanding of orthopaedic anatomy, surgical techniques, instrumentation, and implant workflows.
• Experience with surgical robotics/computer assisted surgery and principles of biomechanics.
• Strong problem‑solving, analytical reasoning, and decision‑making skills.
• Ability to operate independently within a fast‑paced, innovative environment.
• Minimum of 7+ years in medical device R&D, including at least 2–3 years in the orthopaedic space, with hands‑on experience in one or more of the following: supporting technology in the operating room, early‑stage innovation, or device design and development.
• Working knowledge of orthopaedic procedures (e.g., hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty) and operating room workflows, gained through direct clinical exposure such as case coverage, cadaver or sawbone labs, or clinical studies, and close collaboration with surgeons and clinical staff.
• Proven track record of contributing clinical and technical expertise to complex projects from concept evaluation through prototype development, initial validation, and initial clinical use.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional teams and manage projects with minimal supervision.
• Strong entrepreneurial mindset with a focus on disruptive innovation and strategic growth.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with experience presenting to executive leadership, regulatory bodies, and external partners. Proven ability to foster collaborative relationships across internal teams and external research institution.
• This position will require significant interactions with customers of J&J, field sales leaders and external development partners
• Work closely with Health Care Professionals (Surgeons), to conduct preclinical, formative, summative, and validation studies throughout the design process
• Interactions with Health Care Professionals (Surgeons, Clinical Staff) Field Sales, Commercial Education, and Professional Education, administering field based complaint characterization, risk assessments and onsite remediation.
• Collaborate with third‑party development partners during prototype development by providing clear clinical specifications, design inputs, and feedback throughout the design process to ensure alignment with clinical, technical, and business requirements.

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.

Required Skills

Preferred Skills

Agility Jumps, Analytical Reasoning, Coaching, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Product Design, Report Writing, Requirements Analysis, Research and Development, SAP Product Lifecycle Management, Scripting Languages, Software Architectures, Software Development Management, Software Engineering Practices, Software Quality Assurance (SQA), Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Technologically Savvy

The anticipated base pay range for this position is

$109,000.00 - $174,800.00

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.

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