Head of Joints Robotics, R&D Digital
Johnson & Johnson, Boston, MA, United States
Head of Joints Robotics, R&D
Location(s): Boston, MA; Raynham, MA; Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Warsaw, IN. Other DPS locations may be considered.
As the Head of Joints Robotics, R&D, you will lead a cross-disciplinary robotics R&D organization responsible for system engineering, software, and hardware development of next‑generation orthopedic robotic systems. You will own the technical roadmap, delivery, team development, and alignment with clinical, regulatory, and manufacturing stakeholders to introduce safe, differentiated robotic products to market.
Responsibilities
Set technical vision and roadmap for robotics platforms (mechatronics, embedded systems, perception, control, autonomy, and cloud/edge software) in collaboration with product, clinical, regulatory, and manufacturing teams.
Manage end‑to‑end R&D delivery for full product lifecycle: requirements, architecture, prototyping, verification, validation, and transfer to production.
Lead, coach, and recruit a multidisciplinary team: firmware engineers, controls/mechatronics, electrical/mechanical design engineers, robotics perception/ML, embedded & application software, and systems engineers.
Establish robust engineering processes (requirements management, design control, risk management, software lifecycle, CI/CD, component obsolescence management).
Drive systems‑level tradeoffs between performance, safety, cost, and manufacturability for medical devices.
Ensure alignment with regulatory standards and support technical inputs for submission considerations.
Partner with human factors for clinical validation, and iterative improvements informed by surgeon feedback.
Own technical risk register, milestones, budgets, and resource allocation; report program status to senior leadership.
Define and track key metrics for product quality, development velocity, reliability, and time‑to‑market.
Qualifications
Required
MS or PhD in Robotics, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Computer Science.
10+ years leading engineering teams with combined software and hardware responsibility.
3 years in medical device, surgical robotics, or similarly regulated industry.
Proven track record delivering complex electromechanical multi‑disciplinary systems from concept to production.
Strong systems engineering mindset: requirements decomposition, architecture, verification/validation.
Deep experience in embedded systems, real‑time control, motion planning, perception (vision/force/encoders), and relevant SW stacks (C/C++, RTOS, ROS or robotics frameworks).
Demonstrated knowledge of medical device regulations, design controls, and risk management practices.
Excellent stakeholder management, cross‑functional leadership, and communication skills.
Strong Clinical workflow understanding through the patient pathway.
Hands on technical credibility and ability to mentor senior engineers.
Customer and clinician empathy; data driven decision maker.
Skilled at prioritizing scope in constrained timelines and budgets.
Builds high trust teams and fosters psychological safety for innovation.
Results driven leadership with strong execution focus.
Preferred
Prior experience with surgical systems, orthopedics, or other implantable device ecosystems.
Exposure to cloud/edge analytics, cybersecurity for medical devices, and machine learning for perception or decision support.
MBA or demonstrated P&L/program ownership experience.
Compensation
Base pay range: $196,000.00 – $342,700.00.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
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. Johnson & Johnson is committed to providing an inclusive interview process for applicants with disabilities.
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Location(s): Boston, MA; Raynham, MA; Palm Beach Gardens, FL; Warsaw, IN. Other DPS locations may be considered.
As the Head of Joints Robotics, R&D, you will lead a cross-disciplinary robotics R&D organization responsible for system engineering, software, and hardware development of next‑generation orthopedic robotic systems. You will own the technical roadmap, delivery, team development, and alignment with clinical, regulatory, and manufacturing stakeholders to introduce safe, differentiated robotic products to market.
Responsibilities
Set technical vision and roadmap for robotics platforms (mechatronics, embedded systems, perception, control, autonomy, and cloud/edge software) in collaboration with product, clinical, regulatory, and manufacturing teams.
Manage end‑to‑end R&D delivery for full product lifecycle: requirements, architecture, prototyping, verification, validation, and transfer to production.
Lead, coach, and recruit a multidisciplinary team: firmware engineers, controls/mechatronics, electrical/mechanical design engineers, robotics perception/ML, embedded & application software, and systems engineers.
Establish robust engineering processes (requirements management, design control, risk management, software lifecycle, CI/CD, component obsolescence management).
Drive systems‑level tradeoffs between performance, safety, cost, and manufacturability for medical devices.
Ensure alignment with regulatory standards and support technical inputs for submission considerations.
Partner with human factors for clinical validation, and iterative improvements informed by surgeon feedback.
Own technical risk register, milestones, budgets, and resource allocation; report program status to senior leadership.
Define and track key metrics for product quality, development velocity, reliability, and time‑to‑market.
Qualifications
Required
MS or PhD in Robotics, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Computer Science.
10+ years leading engineering teams with combined software and hardware responsibility.
3 years in medical device, surgical robotics, or similarly regulated industry.
Proven track record delivering complex electromechanical multi‑disciplinary systems from concept to production.
Strong systems engineering mindset: requirements decomposition, architecture, verification/validation.
Deep experience in embedded systems, real‑time control, motion planning, perception (vision/force/encoders), and relevant SW stacks (C/C++, RTOS, ROS or robotics frameworks).
Demonstrated knowledge of medical device regulations, design controls, and risk management practices.
Excellent stakeholder management, cross‑functional leadership, and communication skills.
Strong Clinical workflow understanding through the patient pathway.
Hands on technical credibility and ability to mentor senior engineers.
Customer and clinician empathy; data driven decision maker.
Skilled at prioritizing scope in constrained timelines and budgets.
Builds high trust teams and fosters psychological safety for innovation.
Results driven leadership with strong execution focus.
Preferred
Prior experience with surgical systems, orthopedics, or other implantable device ecosystems.
Exposure to cloud/edge analytics, cybersecurity for medical devices, and machine learning for perception or decision support.
MBA or demonstrated P&L/program ownership experience.
Compensation
Base pay range: $196,000.00 – $342,700.00.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
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. Johnson & Johnson is committed to providing an inclusive interview process for applicants with disabilities.
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