Senior Mechatronics Engineer

Johnson & Johnson•Santa Clara, CA

About The Position

The Senior Mechatronics Engineer leads the design, development, integration, verification, and lifecycle support of complex systems and equipment in a regulated MedTech environment. The role combines mechanical, electrical and electronic design, controls, software, sensing, motion, robotics, machine vision, instrumentation, and automation to deliver safe, reliable, maintainable, and scalable equipment. The engineer owns technical work from stakeholder needs and system requirements through architecture, detailed design, prototyping, integration, verification, validation, deployment, and change control, and provides hands-on engineering and technical leadership across internal teams and external equipment suppliers. The role independently owns technically complex equipment or major system and subsystem workstreams; leads technical reviews and risk management; and influences cross-functional partners without relying on formal authority. It also mentors engineers and technicians and contributes to design standards, reusable architectures, engineering tools, technology roadmaps, and lessons learned. Travel is approximately 10–20%, depending on project needs, and may include suppliers, development partners, manufacturing sites, installation locations, and acceptance activities.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechatronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.
At least 5 years of relevant experience developing multidisciplinary systems, automation, robotics, medical-device equipment, or production/test equipment.
Demonstrated experience completing multiple stages of the system or equipment design and development lifecycle.
Demonstrated ability to integrate mechanical, electrical/electronic, sensing, controls, and software elements into functioning equipment.
Hands-on experience with sensors, actuators, motors, motion systems, instrumentation, electrical hardware, and associated controls.
Strong system integration, verification, troubleshooting, and structured root-cause-analysis capability.
Experience developing engineering requirements, specifications, drawings, schematics, interface definitions, test methods, protocols, and technical reports.
Experience applying technical risk management, verification methods, configuration/change control, and disciplined design reviews.
Ability to work effectively across engineering disciplines and provide technical direction to suppliers or integration partners.
Proficient SolidWorks use for mechanical equipment design, 3D parts and assemblies, engineering drawings, tolerance definition, configuration management, and design for manufacture and assembly.
Working capability with Altium Designer for electrical schematic capture, PCB layout/design review, component libraries, design outputs, and electrical/electromechanical interface development.
Practical Python use for engineering automation, equipment and instrument integration, test sequencing, data acquisition, data analysis, troubleshooting tools, or verification applications.
Knowledge of mechatronic system architecture, including requirements allocation, interface management, component selection, trade studies, integration planning, and system-level verification.
Ability to integrate electrical and controls technologies such as sensors, actuators, motors, servo/stepper motion, safety circuits, industrial I/O, communications, instrumentation, and control-panel interfaces.
Knowledge of automation technologies including PLC-based controls, robotics, machine vision, data acquisition, and automated test or manufacturing equipment.
Familiarity with engineering methods including DFMEA/FMEA, hazard and fault analysis, tolerance analysis, root-cause analysis, verification and validation, reliability, and design reviews.
Strong systems thinking, technical ownership, and accountability.
Analytical, hands-on, and structured problem-solving skills.
Clear technical communication and disciplined documentation.
Effective cross-functional collaboration and ability to influence without formal authority.
Sound engineering judgment across performance, safety, quality, compliance, schedule, cost, and lifecycle considerations.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Mechatronics, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a related discipline.
Experience developing systems or equipment in medical devices or another highly regulated industry.
Experience with design controls, requirements traceability, equipment qualification, and risk management in accordance with applicable quality-system practices.
Experience with servo motion, robotics, machine vision, precision mechanisms, industrial controls, data acquisition, instrumentation, and industrial communications.
Experience with Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Beckhoff, National Instruments, Cognex, Keyence, Universal Robots, FANUC, ABB, or comparable platforms.
Working knowledge of FDA quality-system expectations, ISO 13485, ISO 14971, GMP, machine safety, equipment qualification, and engineering change control.
Experience leading equipment suppliers, system integrators, contract manufacturers, or external development partners.
Technical mentoring, adaptability, and curiosity about emerging technologies.

Responsibilities

Lead mechatronic system and equipment development from requirements and concept selection through architecture, detailed design, integration, verification, validation, release, and lifecycle support.
Translate user and stakeholder needs into testable system, subsystem, interface, and equipment requirements with measurable acceptance criteria and traceability.
Develop and evaluate concepts through feasibility studies, technical trade studies, rapid prototypes, proof-of-concept testing, and risk-based decision-making.
Design and integrate mechanical structures and mechanisms, electrical and electronic hardware, sensors, actuators, motors, servo systems, pneumatics, controls, software, robotics, machine vision, instrumentation, and data-acquisition subsystems.
Create and review mechanical models, assemblies, drawings, tolerances, schematics, PCB designs, wiring diagrams, bills of material, interface definitions, and system specifications.
Perform tolerance, component-sizing, motion and load, reliability, and failure-mode analyses, and review designs for manufacturability and serviceability.
Plan and execute system integration, design verification, and validation; develop test methods, protocols, fixtures, automated tests, data analysis, and objective acceptance criteria.
Lead multidisciplinary troubleshooting and root-cause analysis across mechanical, electrical, controls, software, sensing, communications, and product or equipment interfaces.
Apply design controls, DFMEA/FMEA, hazard analysis, machine-safety principles, fault analysis, risk controls, and documented design reviews throughout development.
Develop equipment architectures with interlocks, diagnostics, error handling, fault recovery, calibration, maintainability, and serviceability.
Provide technical direction to system integrators, equipment suppliers, and technology partners through specifications, design reviews, supplier risk management, FAT/SAT, qualification, and acceptance.
Support equipment qualification, applicable process validation, technology transfer, manufacturing readiness, production ramp, engineering change control, obsolescence management, and lifecycle improvements.
Mentor engineers and technicians and contribute to common design standards, reusable architectures, engineering tools, technology roadmaps, and lessons learned.
Identify technical and interface risks, establish mitigation plans, and drive issues to documented closure.
Communicate designs, trade-offs, risks, test results, and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.