Staff Design & Additive Manufacturing Engineer, Spine R&D – DePuy Synthes

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.

Job Function:

R&D Product Development

Job Sub Function:

Biomedical Engineering

Job Category:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

Raynham, Massachusetts, United States of America

Job Description:

About Orthopaedics

Fueled by innovation at the intersection of biology and technology, we’re developing the next generation of smarter, less invasive, more personalized treatments.

Are you passionate about improving and expanding the possibilities of Orthopaedics? Ready to join a team that’s reimagining how we heal? Our Orthopaedics teams help keep more than 6 million people moving each year while delivering clinical and economic value to surgeons and healthcare systems.

Our teams build solutions for joint reconstruction; trauma and craniomaxillofacial; sports, extremities, and elective foot and ankle; spine; and robotics and digital surgery.

Your unique talents will help patients on their journey to wellness. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/medtech.

We are searching for the best talent for a Staff Design & Additive Manufacturing Engineer, Spine R&D to join our J&J Orthopaedics team.  This position is hybrid based out of our Raynham, MA office location. 

Johnson & Johnson announced plans to separate our Orthopaedics business to establish a standalone orthopaedics 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.

Purpose:

The Staff Engineer position will be a dual role, with half of the time spent on Product Design within the Spine Surgeon Request Team. The other half of this role will support the development and optimization of Additive Manufacturing processes and products for R&D.  Specifically, this role will own the additive manufacturing loop—from build file creation and printer operation through part removal, inspection, and structured feedback into subsequent design iterations.  This position is best suited for an engineer who is comfortable operating metal AM equipment, applying DfAM principles, and working within a regulated medical device development environment.

A key focus of the position is expanding the team’s AM capabilities, and the Staff Engineer will collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams—including Manufacturing Innovation, Quality, Validation, Maintenance, and Calibration. The role involves developing and supporting value‑stream projects, ensuring alignment, standardization, and best‑practice implementation across the network.

You will be responsible for:

Within the Surgeon Request Team role:
 

• Lead and contribute to the design and development of innovative medical devices and technologies supporting new custom product development and specialty product lifecycle management.
• Develop CAD models and detailed engineering drawings in accordance with company standards, including GD&T and tolerance analysis.
• Perform engineering analyses and simulations to validate design concepts and optimize performance.
• Lead or participate in cross-functional project teams as needed, and deliver technical solutions aligned with clinical (direct surgeon requests), regulatory, quality, and business objectives.
• Support design control activities and the transfer of designs from concept through prototype to production.

Within the Additive Manufacturing Engineer role:
 

• Lead end‑to‑end process development and industrialization for complex processes and New Product Introductions (NPI), ensuring scalable, robust, and validated manufacturing processes.
• Build Preparation & Design-for-Additive (DfAM)
  • Create, modify, and optimize LPBF build files for titanium medical implants (e.g., Ti 6Al 4V), including:
    • Part orientation and nesting strategy
    • Support generation and optimization to balance surface quality and removability
    • Thermal management considerations for distortion-sensitive implant geometries.
• Review CAD models for printability, manufacturability, and risk, providing DfAM feedback tailored to spine implants (e.g., lattice regions, fixation features, anatomical surfaces).
• Maintain build documentation consistent with R&D and design control expectations.
• LPBF Printer Operation -
  • Will eventually own the end-to-end operation of industrial LPBF metal printers, including:
  • Machine setup, calibration, and pre-build checks
  • Titanium powder handling, recycling, and traceability
  • Build execution, monitoring, and first-level troubleshooting
• Identify print anomalies relevant to implant manufacturing (distortion, support failure, surface defects).
• Part Removal, Post-Processing & Inspection
• Execute post-build workflows including:
  • Depowdering and controlled powder recovery
  • Build plate removal and part separation
  • Support removal with attention to implant-critical surfaces
• Perform preliminary inspection and documentation:
  • Visual inspection and defect classification
  • Basic dimensional verification
  • Identification of risks impacting downstream testing (mechanical, fatigue, coating, etc.)
• Prototype Feedback & R&D Iteration
• Provide clear, structured feedback from each build to inform:
  • Design revisions
  • Build orientation and support changes
  • Parameter and layout refinements
• Partner closely with Spine R&D engineers, Designers, and manufacturing teams to accelerate prototype learning cycles.
• Support continuous improvement of AM processes, SOPs, and internal best practices for medical titanium printing.
• Support cost reduction and productivity initiatives (scrap/rework reduction, throughput improvements, consumables optimization) with measurable savings and sustainability impacts.
• Provide technical mentorship to engineers and technicians, champion continuous improvement culture, and support capability development across the organization.

Qualifications:

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Engineering (or equivalent).
• 5+ years of Product Development with experience developing CAD models and detailed engineering drawings, preferably using Siemens NX.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience with metal additive manufacturing, preferably LPBF.
• Demonstrated ability in additive manufacturing/process engineering.
• Demonstrated experience creating metal AM build files (supports, orientation, slicing, layout).
• Experience with industrial LPBF printers, from setup to completed build, to part removal and basic post-processing techniques.
• Strong experience in structured problem solving and root cause analysis.
• Excellent technical content skills (specifications, validation protocols, change control).

Preferred Experience

• Proven experience supporting NPI, scale‑up and transfer activities.
• Experience leading multi-functional teams and influencing collaborators at multiple levels.
• Experience specifically with titanium spinal implants or orthopaedic medical devices.
• Familiarity with LPBF platforms, 3DS preferred (e.g., EOS, SLM Solutions, Renishaw, Concept Laser).
• Experience with build prep software such as Materialise Magics, EOSPRINT, Netfabb, nTopology, or similar.
• Exposure to post-processing steps commonly used in medical devices (heat treatment, HIP, surface finishing).
• Familiarity with calibration, maintenance practices and working closely with in‑house maintenance teams.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements and submissions applicable to medical device manufacturing.
• Prior experience mentoring/leading emerging engineers or small technical teams.

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. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

Johnson & Johnson is committed to providing an interview process that is inclusive of our applicants’ needs. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers or contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

#LI-VY1

#LI-hybrid

Required Skills:

Manufacturing Process Engineering, Problem Solving, Product Development

 

 

Preferred Skills:

NPI Management, Regulatory Requirements

 

 

The anticipated base pay range for this position is :

$109,000.00 - $174,800.00

Additional Description for Pay Transparency:

Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k)).

Subject to the terms of their respective policies and date of hire, employees are eligible for the following time off 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 period10 days
• Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year
• Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year

For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits