Overview
Johnson & Johnson is seeking a Manager, External Innovation - MedTech to drive our external innovation strategy.
Location: Raritan, New Jersey (hybrid schedule – 3 days onsite per week). The role is responsible for assessing and partnering with new technologies to advance the company’s MedTech portfolio.
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute an external innovation strategy to identify high‑potential technologies, startups, academic laboratories, and service providers that align with commercial and technology targets.
- Evaluate external opportunities through an integrated technical and market lens (scientific validity, technology readiness, risk, timelines, and product‑market fit).
- Lead technical due diligence for licensing, collaboration, and investment opportunities, preparing concise assessments for senior leadership.
- Design, coordinate, and execute evaluation frameworks (e.g., preclinical assays and in‑vitro methods) to de‑risk early‑stage technologies and inform go/no‑go decisions.
- Manage external partnerships and vendors (CROs, contract developers, academic collaborators), including scopes of work, budgets, milestones, and governance.
- Coordinate with functional teams (R&D, Medical, Clinical, Regulatory, Commercial, BD, Legal) to support external innovation initiatives.
- Track and report portfolio metrics and outcomes, identify and escalation risks, highlight opportunities, and monitor timelines and go/no‑go decisions.
- Map and maintain the external ecosystem; track market trends and competitor activity related to target areas and the portfolio.
Qualifications – Required
- PhD in a scientific or technical discipline (biology, chemistry, materials science, engineering, or related field).
- Minimum 6+ years of experience in the medical device industry with end‑to‑end product development.
- Demonstrated experience in external innovation (scouting, partnerships, licensing, collaborations) for early‑ to mid‑stage technologies.
- Proven ability to integrate market and technology strategy, translating market needs into technical requirements and vice versa.
- Strong scientific judgment, with experience assessing technology fit, feasibility, and commercialization potential.
- Experience managing external vendors and collaborators, including defining scopes of work and overseeing execution.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to produce clear technical and commercial materials for senior leadership.
- Ability to influence and lead cross‑functional teams without formal authority in a matrixed environment.
- Basic understanding of preclinical, clinical, and regulatory requirements to support 510(k) and PMA product submissions and approvals.
Qualifications – Preferred
- Experience developing due diligence materials to support external opportunity evaluation.
- Experience leading a team through development and approval of a PMA medical device.
- Track record of designing testing strategies and endpoints to evaluate early‑stage technology efficacy and safety.
- Experience building scientific communication packages that summarize results and support decision‑making.
- Demonstrated success influencing cross‑functional resource allocation and securing funding for priority initiatives.
Skills
- Compliance Management
- Developing Others
- Entrepreneurship
- Inclusive Leadership
- Leadership
- Performance Measurement
- Process Improvements
- Product Development
- Product Development Lifecycle
- Product Strategies
- Quality Assurance
- Research Ethics
- Resource Allocation
- SAP Product Lifecycle Management
- Team Management
- Technical Credibility
- Versatility
Benefits
- Base pay range: $117,000 - $201,250.
- 401(k) retirement plan; consolidated pension plan.
- Vacation: 120 hours per calendar year.
- Sick time: 40 hours per calendar year (48 hours for Colorado residents, 56 hours for Washington residents).
- Holiday pay: 13 days per calendar year.
- Parental leave: 480 hours within one year of birth/adoption/foster care of a child.
- Bereavement leave: 240 hours for an immediate family member (40 hours for an extended member).
- Caregiver leave: 80 hours within a 52‑week rolling period.
- Volunteer leave: 32 hours per calendar year.
- Military spouse time‑off: 80 hours per calendar year.
EEO Statement
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 veterans and individuals with disabilities.
Travel
Travel may be required up to 10% of the time, both international and domestic.
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