Director of Engineering, Synthetics

In addition to base pay, we offer the following benefits*: an annual bonus with set target (% of pay) depending on pay grade / location, where the actual amount is based on the employees' and companies' performance of the previous calendar year, or sales commissions. Moreover, we offer vacation days, parental leave for a minimum of 12 weeks, bereavement leave, caregiver leave, volunteer leave, well-being reimbursement, programs for financial, physical and mental health. We also offer service anniversary and recognition awards, and subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees - and in some location's eligible dependents - can participate in several insurance plans. For more information, visit Employee benefits | Supporting well-being & career growth | Johnson & Johnson Careers.

*This is for informative purposes only. Amounts and actual benefits may vary by location and are subject to change.

Job Function: Supply Chain Engineering

Job Sub Function: Multi-Family Supply Chain Engineering

Job Category: Professional

All Job Posting Locations: Nijmegen, Netherlands

The Director of Engineering, Global Technical Operations leads a multidisciplinary engineering organization responsible for the design, scale-up, industrialization, and lifecycle support of manufacturing processes for medical device products. The role has a particular focus on Synthetic products and processes while also supporting base business manufacturing. The Director owns the engineering strategy and capital investment portfolio, drives complex cross-functional programs from concept through validation and commercial launch, and leads technology transformation to deliver safe, compliant, reliable, and cost-competitive supply. Reporting to the Senior Director, Global Technical Operations - Biosurgery, this leader builds high-performing teams and partners closely with R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Finance, and external partners.

Duties & Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineering managers, engineers, and technical specialists across process, equipment, automation, and facilities disciplines.
• Set clear goals, priorities, and accountability; build organizational capability through hiring, succession planning, and targeted development.
• Foster an inclusive, purpose-driven culture that encourages technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Provide leadership across sites and functions, influencing senior stakeholders to align priorities and resources.

Capital Investments

• Own the multi-year engineering capital plan, including capacity expansion, new manufacturing lines, equipment replacement, and facility upgrades.
• Develop and present business cases and capital appropriation requests, including scope, cost, schedule, risk, and return on investment.
• Lead execution of projects from concept and design through installation, commissioning, qualification and handover to operations.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, and spend in partnership with Finance; ensure projects deliver on committed cost, schedule, and performance targets.
• Select and manage equipment vendors, engineering firms, and contract manufacturers/partners

Program Management

• Lead complex, cross-functional engineering programs supporting capacity expansion, New Product Introduction (NPI), technology transfer, scale-up, and product lifecycle management.
• Establish robust program governance, including integrated plans, milestones, risk registers, and stage-gate reviews.
• Proactively identify and mitigate technical, supply, and schedule risks; escalate issues with clear options and recommendations.
• Provide concise, data-driven updates to senior leadership on program status, resources, and key decisions.
• Support base business manufacturing by partnering with site operations to sustain supply continuity, resolve technical and process issues, and deliver lifecycle, cost-improvement, and reliability projects.
• Develop project and program management skills across the engineering organization through coaching, standard tools and templates, and hands-on program leadership opportunities.
• Align engineering priorities with R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, and Commercial roadmaps.

Technology Transformation

• Define and execute the engineering technology roadmap, including automation, digital manufacturing, data analytics, and Industry 4.0 and AI capabilities.
• Evaluate, pilot, and scale new process technologies to improve yield, capacity, quality, and cost.
• Champion process robustness through Design of Experiments (DoE), Process Analytical Technology (PAT), and advanced process control.
• Drive standardization of equipment, processes, and engineering practices across sites and external partners.

Combination Products & Powder Processing

• Provide technical leadership for medical device and drug-device / biologic-device combination product manufacturing processes.
• Lead development, scale-up, and optimization of powder processes, including milling, blending, granulation, drying, particle-size control, powder filling, and containment.
• Address powder-specific challenges such as flowability, segregation, moisture sensitivity, dust control, and operator safety.
• Ensure process and equipment design supports sterility assurance, contamination control, and cleanroom requirements where applicable.
• Partner with R&D and external partners to transfer powder and combination product technologies into robust commercial manufacturing.

Quality, Compliance & Safety

• Ensure all engineering activities comply with applicable cGMP requirements.
• Lead or support process validation, change control, risk management (pFMEA), and investigations / CAPA with sound engineering root-cause analysis.
• Support regulatory submissions and inspections with technical documentation and subject-matter expertise.
• Uphold Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) standards, including combustible dust and potent-compound handling where relevant.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Biomedical, Materials, or related Engineering discipline is required.
• Master's degree, MBA, or PhD is preferred.

Required Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of engineering experience in medical device, pharmaceutical, or combination product manufacturing with relevant people leadership experience.
• Proven track record leading capital investment projects, including business case development, budget ownership, and delivery of new lines or facilities.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional programs (NPI, technology transfer, or scale-up) to on-time, on-budget outcomes.
• Experience leading technology transformation, such as automation, digitalization, or introduction of new process platforms.
• Working knowledge cGMP requirements, including process validation and risk management.

Preferred Experience

• Hands-on expertise in powder processing technologies (milling, blending, granulation, spray drying, powder filling, containment).
• Direct experience with medical products,.
• Experience with hemostats, biosurgery, or other absorbable/biologic medical products.
• Experience managing external manufacturing partners, suppliers, and engineering contractors in a global environment.
• Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent certification.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into executable plans.
• Strong financial acumen and data-driven decision-making.
• Executive presence with clear, concise communication to senior leadership.
• Ability to influence without authority across a global matrix organization.
• Bias for action, accountability, and a continuous-improvement mindset.
• Willingness to travel up to 30%, domestically and internationally.

Our Credo

The Director of Engineering creates a purpose-driven environment by aligning Johnson & Johnson's Credo and Leadership Imperatives with the strategies and goals of the team and enterprise, putting the needs and well-being of patients first in everything we do.

€102,500.00 - €177,445.00

The Netherlands: 8%.The annual base pay includes an 8% holiday allowance.

Het bruto jaarsalaris is inclusief vakantietoeslag van 8%.