Staff Clinical Engineer

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine•Boston, MA

1d•$109,000 - $174,800•Hybrid

About The Position

The Staff Clinical Engineer works closely with product development teams and clinicians to advance early-stage ideas into clinically relevant devices and features for orthopaedic surgical robotics and navigation. The role provides clinical and technical expertise to define user needs, clinical requirements, and real-world performance considerations, helping deliver safe, effective, differentiated solutions and improve patient outcomes. It also supports cross-functional teams, external research institutions, and industry partners, contributing expertise throughout the product lifecycle and helping ensure post-commercial performance meets design intent. The position is based in Boston or Raynham, Massachusetts, with an expectation to work in the office at least three days per week. The engineer supports concept development, feasibility assessment, prototype development and demonstrations, clinical and operational needs definition, risk analysis, clinical workflow research, testing, validation, product education, and initial commercialization. The role includes significant interaction with surgeons, clinical staff, field sales leaders, commercial and professional education teams, and external development partners.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Biomedical, Electrical, or Robotics Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
At least 7 years of experience in medical device R&D, including at least 2–3 years in the orthopaedic space.
Hands-on orthopaedic experience in areas such as orthopaedic medical device R&D, clinical or field support, or surgical robotics/navigation for joint reconstruction.
Solid understanding of orthopaedic anatomy, surgical techniques, instrumentation, and implant workflows.
Experience with surgical robotics or computer-assisted surgery and principles of biomechanics.
Working knowledge of orthopaedic procedures such as 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.
Track record of contributing clinical and technical expertise to complex projects from concept evaluation through prototype development, initial validation, and initial clinical use.
Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage projects with minimal supervision.
Strong problem-solving, analytical reasoning, and decision-making skills.
Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced, innovative environment.
Strong entrepreneurial mindset focused on disruptive innovation and strategic growth.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including experience presenting to executive leadership, regulatory bodies, and external partners.
Ability to foster collaborative relationships across internal teams and external research institutions.
Ability to interact significantly with J&J customers, field sales leaders, and external development partners.

Nice To Haves

Master’s or PhD, preferably focused on medical device development or a related field.
Preferred skills listed: 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), and Technologically Savvy.

Responsibilities

Contribute clinical and technical expertise to ideation, conceptualization, and early-stage evaluation of novel design concepts.
Support feasibility assessments and prototype development, ensuring alignment with clinical needs and applicable regulatory pathways.
Support 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 creation of clinical hazard analyses and procedure-specific risk maps to inform project scope and streamline timelines.
Evaluate emerging trends in computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery, surgical robotics, navigated devices, and surgical techniques.
Translate clinical insights into actionable project goals and provide input to prototype development activities.
Identify critical tasks, potential use errors, and hazardous situations in clinical contexts.
Collaborate with systems engineering to develop test methods, models, and metrics so that 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, inefficiencies, and complications.
Gather Voice of the Clinician insights and translate unmet clinical needs into system-level opportunities and requirements.
Support Voice of Customer sessions with surgeons by preparing materials and 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 escalation of critical product-performance complaints.
Communicate business-related issues or opportunities to the next management level.
Work with healthcare professionals, including surgeons, to conduct studies throughout the design process.
Interact with surgeons, clinical staff, field sales, Commercial Education, and Professional Education to administer field-based complaint characterization, risk assessments, and on-site remediation.
Collaborate with third-party development partners during prototype development, providing clinical specifications, design inputs, and feedback to align development with clinical, technical, and business requirements.

Benefits

Participation in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k)), subject to plan terms.
Eligibility to participate in the Company’s long-term incentive program.
Vacation: 120 hours per calendar year, subject to policy and date of hire.
Sick time: 40 hours per calendar year, with different stated allocations for Colorado and Washington residents.
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, or foster care of a child.
Bereavement Leave: 240 hours for an immediate family member and 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.