Principle Optimization Engineer

Johnson & Johnson • Raynham, MA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Johnson & Johnson announced plans to separate our Orthopedics business to establish a standalone orthopedics 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. Should you accept this position, it is anticipated that, following conclusion of the transaction, you would be an employee of DePuy Synthes and your employment would be governed by DePuy Synthes employment processes, programs, policies, and benefit plans. In that case, details of any planned changes would be provided to you by DePuy Synthes at an appropriate time and subject to any necessary consultation processes.

Job Overview
As a Principal Optimization Engineer, you will lead the design and delivery of high-impact optimization and simulation capabilities. This means crafting algorithms and heuristics tailored to complex supply chain problems, piloting solutions with business partners, and scaling and deploying them across the enterprise to unlock improvements in supply chain experience, effectiveness, and efficiency. Core solution areas include end-to-end optimization, multi-echelon inventory optimization (MEIO), production planning, capacity management, network modeling, simulation, and digital twin technologies. You will report to the Director of Digital Strategy & Deployment. In this role, you will partner closely with global supply chain leaders, in-house AI and data scientists, data engineers, and product management teams — bridging the gap between advanced analytical methods and real-world operational impact.

Requirements

• Master’s or Ph.D. (preferred) in Operations Research, Industrial Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical discipline is strongly preferred.
• 6+ years of progressive work experience in operations research, supply chain modeling, or advanced analytics — with a track record of designing, developing, and deploying optimization and simulation solutions in complex operational environments.
• Experience incubating and productionalizing new analytical capabilities, working closely with data engineers, data scientists, and technical teams from idea generation through implementation.
• Deep expertise in mathematical modeling, algorithm design, and heuristic development for large-scale supply chain problems including network optimization, inventory optimization, and scheduling.
• Significant hands-on experience with optimization engines such as CPLEX, Gurobi, FICO Xpress, and Lyric
• Hands-on experience with discrete-event and continuous simulation platforms such as Simio, FlexSim, AnyLogic, SimPy, or Arena; familiarity with additional simulation environments is a plus.
• Proficiency in one or more programming languages — Python, R, Julia, or equivalent — is required; experience building production-grade analytical solutions is a strong plus.
• Strong working knowledge of AI/ML techniques — including machine learning, deep learning, Generative AI, and Agentic AI — and the ability to integrate these methods into operations research solutions where appropriate.
• Strong knowledge of data science, statistical modeling, and visualization tools including decision trees, neural networks, clustering, regression, and data mining techniques.
• Demonstrated expertise in supply chain modeling across planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, and customer fulfillment including deep understanding of supply chain fundamentals — inventory theory, BOM structures, lead times, demand planning
• Demonstrated success in creative problem solving with proven ability to work cross-functionally, build partnerships, and influence change across a large, complex organization.
• Strong business acumen — able to assess the most appropriate analytical approach given business requirements, constraints, and trade-offs.
• Demonstrated ability to develop business cases and track business benefits, including ROI, P&L savings, cash flow impact, and other key financial metrics.
• Self-starter with a hands-on approach to fast prototyping and a bias toward action in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
• Proven ability to manage and prioritize multiple competing projects and stakeholder demands in a deadline-driven environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills — including model documentation and analyses and demonstrated experience presenting to and influencing senior leaders.

Nice To Haves

• Experience engaging with and managing university and research institution partnerships, including co-developing methodologies and translating academic research into applied solutions, is a plus.
• Familiarity with supply chain domains within MedTech or similar industry
• Familiarity with tools like Jira and Confluence
• Experience at the OR/ML interface or experience applying ML/GenAI methods to enhance and improve optimization algorithms
• UX/UI design experience or familiarity partnering with UX/UI designers
• Familiarity with design tools such as Figma and Adobe XD
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent preferred.
• APICS certification (CPIM, CSCP) is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the operations research strategy and solution roadmap — spanning optimization, simulation, and digital twin — to address unmet supply chain needs aligned with DePuy Synthes strategic objectives.
• Lead the full solution lifecycle: frame the problem, develop and validate models, pilot with business partners, then scale and deploy solutions that drive measurable improvements in supply chain experience, effectiveness, and efficiency.
• Partner with supply chain business leaders across DePuy Synthes functions — including manufacturing, quality, procurement, planning, logistics, and customer experience — to identify, prioritize, and frame complex problems amenable to analytical solutions.
• Effectively manage communication of execution timelines and performance with customer, senior leaders, and other key stakeholders
• Craft novel algorithms, heuristics, and modeling frameworks to solve high-complexity supply chain problems — including end-to-end optimization, multi-echelon inventory optimization (MEIO), network modeling, simulation, and digital twin — and own deliverables end to end.
• Conduct strategic build vs. buy analysis - lead detailed financial, operational, and technical analysis to evaluate in-house vs. external development.
• Ability to assess strategic implications of these sourcing decisions considering factors such as cost, quality, speed-to-market, and long-term business goals.
• Incorporate AI/ML techniques — including machine learning, Generative AI, and Agentic AI — where they strengthen or complement core operations research solutions, enabling more adaptive and intelligent decision-support capabilities.
• Develop and monitor success metrics tied to adoption, operational impact, and realized savings — ensuring solutions deliver quantifiable business value and continue to perform at scale.
• Collaborate with data scientists, data engineers, full-stack developers, and product management teams to produce sustainable, reusable solutions backed by comprehensive documentation and user training, reducing technical debt and enabling broad organizational adoption.
• Drive innovation of next-generation supply chain methods, staying at the forefront of the operations research literature and translating emerging techniques into practical, deployable solutions.

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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal