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**Job Function: **
R&D Product Development
**Job Sub Function: **
R&D Mechanical Engineering
Job Category:
Scientific/Technology
All Job Posting Locations:
Santa Clara, California, United States of America
Job Description:
The Robotics and Digital solutions (RAD) group, part of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, is recruiting for a Design for Reliability (DfR) Engineer for the Robotics and Digital R&D Team. This position is located in Santa Clara, CA.
What We Do:
At Johnson & Johnson MedTech, we are building the future of robotic surgery and healthcare through innovation and technical excellence. Our goal is to develop advanced robotic platforms that are precise, reliable, and accessible. Our team focuses on creating solutions that empower surgeons and improve patient outcomes worldwide.
Who We Are:
Within RAD R&D we are a team of clinical, electrical, firmware, mechanical, mechatronics, robotic controls, systems and software engineers who are passionate about improving patient care. The team includes a wide range of experience levels from junior engineers to industry experts. We follow an iterative, collaborative approach to product development, working across clinical, instrument, accessories, and system teams. We prioritize autonomy, foster a culture of learning, and value diversity of thought and background. Our environment is inclusive, supportive, and driven by a shared commitment to innovation and excellence in healthcare.
Overview:
As a key member in our DfR team, you will join us in our journey to deliver some of the most advanced medical robotic systems in the world. . You will embed reliability thinking into product design teams and develop specifications for our surgical robotic system. This role will drive reliability analysis, fatigue and durability assessment, and test specification development to ensure products meet lifetime requirements. The DfR Engineer will partner closely with Field Reliability Engineering, Failure Analysis, Reliability Testing, Design and Clinical engineering teams to follow through between lab testing, field performance, and product requirements.
Performance Objectives and Responsibilities:
- Translate product requirements into reliability targets, risk assessments, and verification plans for robotic hardware subsystems including actuators, motors, encoders, sensors and cabling/connectors.
- Lead DFMEA reviews and recommend failure detections and mitigations for electro-mechanical assemblies
- Drive reliability-focused design reviews (component selection, materials, architectures).
- Participate in issue/change reviews to evaluate impacts on reliability and testing.
- Develop and maintain reliability related specifications and lifecycle requirements for robotic subsystems.
- Identify operational loads/stresses and convert them into test inputs and load spectra
- Perform fatigue/durability analysis, build damage models, and correlate with test and field data.
- Partner with test engineering to define and validate ALT and custom fatigue/durability tests.
- Capture lessons learned; update FMEAs, design standards, and test methods.
- Collaborate with Field Reliability and Clinical Engineering to integrate field/clinical feedback.
- Define reliability metrics and dashboards (life curves, damage accumulation, margin).
Required Experience and Skills:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Materials, Biomedical, equivalent work experience, or similar engineering field.
- 2+ years of hands-on experience in reliability engineering, DfR, structural fatigue, durability, or a closely related role.
- Experience developing and reviewing dFMEAs and translating failure modes into design/test requirements.
- Strong mechanical fatigue/durability fundamentals
- Familiarity with engineering analysis tools (e.g., FEA tools for stress analysis, or equivalent), and data-analysis tools (Excel, MATLAB, Python, or similar).
- Familiarity with reliability/statistical methods (basic Weibull, life data analysis, confidence intervals, regression).
- Good understanding of materials behavior, component selection trade-offs, and environmental stressors.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to convey technical findings to designers, test labs, and partners.
- Experience working in multi-functional teams.
Preferred Experience and Skills:
- Advanced Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Reliability Engineering, Materials Science, or similar.
- Experience developing and validating damage accumulation models and advanced reliability models.
- Practical experience with test-spec development and correlating test results with analytical models and field data.
- Experience with accelerated life-test program design and interpretation.
- Experience correlating telemetry/field-measured loads to lab tests and integrating field-derived load spectra into test programs.
- Knowledge of test instrumentation and data acquisition systems for durability tests.
- Experience with advanced data analysis using Databricks, SQL, etc.
The anticipated base pay range for this position is $106,000.00 to $170,200.00
The Company maintains highly competitive, performance-based compensation programs. Under current guidelines, this position is eligible for an annual performance bonus in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan. The annual performance bonus is a cash bonus intended to provide an incentive to achieve annual targeted results by rewarding for individual and the corporation’s performance over a calendar/performance year. Bonuses are awarded at the Company’s discretion on an individual basis.
Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company sponsored employee benefit programs: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, business accident insurance, and group legal insurance.
Employees may be 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.
Employees are eligible for the following time off benefits:
- Vacation – up to 120 hours per calendar year
- Sick time - up to 40 hours per calendar year
- Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays – up to 13 days per calendar year
- Work, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 hours per calendar year
For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits
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, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers . internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.
Required Skills:
Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (DFMEA), Design for Reliability (DFR), Durability Testing, Fatigue Testing
Preferred Skills:
Analytical Reasoning, Auto-CAD Design, Business Case Modeling, Coaching, Design Thinking, Mechanical Engineering, Problem Solving, Process Oriented, Product Reliability, Project Management Methodology (PMM), Project Support, Quality Control Testing, Research and Development, Resource Allocation, SAP Product Lifecycle Management, Technical Credibility, Technologically Savvy
The anticipated base pay range for this position is :
$106,000.00 - $170,200.00
Additional Description for Pay Transparency: