Staff AI/ML Software Engineer – Navigation R&D

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:

R&D Software/Systems Engineering

Job Category:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Warsaw, Indiana, United States of America

Job Description:

We are searching for the best talent for a Staff AI/ML Software Engineer – Navigation R&D. This is a hybrid role to be based out of Boston, MA or Warsaw, IN.

Purpose:

As a Staff AI/ML Software Engineer in the Navigation R&D team, you will architect, plan and lead the AI/ML development and integration for next‑generation surgical navigation and planning systems. You will serve as the technical bridge between AI/ML and software engineering teams, assisting the software teams with translating models into production-grade, maintainable software components. You’ll collaborate closely with a cross-functional team of software, systems, hardware, firmware, quality, and regulatory partners to deliver safe, reliable, and scalable software that directly impacts patient outcomes.

Job Responsibilities:

Be a key contributor in the evolution of DePuy Synthes’ AI/ML platform for flexible machine learning model training, fine-tuning, transformation and evaluation across surgical navigation initiatives, driving model improvements using the latest techniques.

Build and integrate production ready, on‑device and cloud-based AI/ML models into the navigation software product, owning model packaging, versioning, and deployment while meeting real-time performance, latency, memory, and compute constraints.

Co-Lead definition, development, and maintenance of APIs and data contracts between ML components and the navigation software, partnering with software engineers to ensure models are testable, maintainable, and verifiable within the product.

Contribute to regulatory documentation, traceability, and V&V aligned with IEC 62304, ISO 14971, and related guidance; support submissions (e.g., FDA 510(k)) as needed.

Contribute to product planning and Agile/Scrum delivery, lead design/code reviews to sustain long‑term maintainability, and mentor engineers.

Required Qualifications:

BS/MS in Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field

8+ years of overall software engineering experience, including 5+ years delivering machine learning models into production software (or equivalent)Significant hands-on experience developing, optimizing, and deploying ML models for image-based inference (e.g., classification, object detection, segmentation, landmark/pose estimation) in production software

2+ years of participating in a scrum team as an AI/ML software SME, with excellent communication, collaboration, and technical influence skills. Proven ability to lead architecture and design reviews

Highly proficient in Python, with strong object-oriented design, design patterns, and unit/integration testing skills

Proven experience with developing, deploying, and maintaining AI/ML processes in a large user base production environment. (Enterprise MLOps experience a huge bonus)

Demonstrable expertise in ML frameworks (TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch, scikit-learn, etc.) and ML model training/optimization, both local and cloud (AWS SageMaker, Azure Machine Learning studio)

Experience developing AI systems in regulated environments (e.g., SaMD), such as surgical, medical imaging, or healthcare-related AI/ML applications, across the full SDLC: requirements, design, implementation, implementation, testing, technical documentation, traceability, validation, release, and maintenance

Preferred Qualifications:

Demonstrated experience in multiple types of AI technologies beyond traditional Machine Learning (Agentic AI, Generative AI, LLMs), including AI-driven development and testing

Experience developing machine learning models using various input data types beyond static images (point clouds, numerical data, text data, etc.)

Experience with production .NET (C#) API development

Experience with requirements, design documentation in tools like Polarion, JAMA, etc.

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

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.

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 accommodation, please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers or contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

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Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

AI Judgement Integration, Analytical Reasoning, Coaching, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), Process Oriented, Product Design, Requirements Analysis, Research and Development, SAP Product Lifecycle Management, Scripting Languages, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Software Development Management, Software Engineering Practices, Software Testing, Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Technical Credibility, Technologically Savvy

The anticipated base pay range for this position is :

$94,000.00 - $151,800.00

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

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