Strategy & External Innovation Manager

Johnson & Johnson•Effingham, KS

2d•Remote

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. This is a remote role available in Cambridge, MA. We are searching for the best talent for a Strategy & External Innovation Manager. The Technology Strategy & External Innovation organization drives future-focused technology strategy, identifies innovation opportunities, and shapes technology partnerships across Innovative Medicine, MedTech, and corporate functions. As Manager, Strategy & External Innovation, you will support strategic analysis, technology landscapes, partner evaluations, and external innovation efforts across high-impact domains—including enterprise health technology, enterprise software, AI, security, cloud/edge technologies, and quantum computing strategy. You will develop and operationalize a sourcing and external engagement framework that connects the global technology ecosystem to J&J’s critical enterprise priorities. You will also own the analysis, synthesis, and communication of opportunity assessments and insights for senior technology leadership. This role is ideal for a strategic operator who can move fluidly between big-picture strategy, structured analysis, and cross-functional execution—while communicating clearly and persuasively to executive audiences.

Requirements

3–6+ years in management consulting, technology strategy, external innovation, enterprise technology, or related fields.
Experience working across enterprise health technology, enterprise software, AI/ML, or emerging tech domains; exposure to quantum strategy or advanced compute a plus.
Demonstrated ability to break down ambiguous problems and build structured, analytical approaches.
Proven experience communicating to executive audiences and building compelling presentations that influence decisions.
Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills; ability to quickly synthesize large amounts of information into clear insights.
Experience leading cross-functional teams and driving complex initiatives to completion.
Strong relationship-building skills and ability to influence across technical and business teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience in enterprise IT strategy, innovation scouting, ecosystem engagement, or technology partnerships.
Understanding of enterprise architecture, cloud/data platforms, AI/ML technologies, emerging compute, or advanced analytics.
Familiarity with partner evaluation, RFI/RFP processes, due diligence, or technology pilot design.

Responsibilities

Lead research, structured analyses, insight generation, and recommendation development for complex technology initiatives.
Translate technology, market, and ecosystem trends into clear implications for J&J’s technology priorities, operating model, and capabilities.
Build strategy components including vision, milestones, business model considerations, and opportunities for competitive advantage.
Work across a cross-functional team to gather input and consensus on strategic insights and outcomes
Build, codify, and maintain a repeatable sourcing and external engagement framework for deep tech and enterprise software solutions tied to enterprise priorities.
Establish hypotheses, search strategies, assessment criteria, and systematic workflows for discovery → assessment → engagement → progression.
Create internal guidance, playbooks, templates, governance, and decision-gate mechanisms for evaluating external partners.
Map and maintain the external ecosystem across startups, academia, enterprise vendors, research labs, and strategic partners.
Own the analysis, synthesis, and communication of opportunity assessments, feasibility evaluations, strategic fit, and expected outcomes for technology leadership.
Build crisp, executive-ready presentations articulating: technology impact on business and IT outcomes value cases and adoption rationale risks, integration considerations, and time-to-value
Develop a consistent methodology for opportunity scoring and measuring impact from programs.
Develop clear, succinct executive-level narratives and visual communication that articulate technology strategies and their impact on enterprise IT outcomes.
Present recommendations to senior leaders with confidence, clarity, and strong storytelling.
Bring structure, operational discipline, and momentum to complex, ambiguous initiatives.

Benefits

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