Operations Engineer​/Surgical Robotics - OTTAVA

Johnson & Johnson is seeking an Operations Engineer/Surgical Robotics – OTTAVA in Santa Clara, CA – to lead manufacturing excellence and project governance within MAKE Operations.

The Operations Engineer drives manufacturing excellence and project governance within MAKE Operations. This role leads lean/continuous improvement initiatives while owning project controls including cost tracking, milestone management, and governance reporting. The role partners cross-functionally with Operation, NPI Engineering, Equipment Engineering, Quality, and Safety to improve safety, quality, delivery, and cost KPIs across the production floor.

• Core Line & Operations Ownership – Lead line troubleshooting and own day‑to‑day throughput, stability, and flow for a specific assigned manufacturing line, supporting Manufacturing Associates. Serve as the first point of accountability for operational issues on assigned lines, driving root cause, corrective action, and sustainment.
• Lean, Process Excellence & Problem Solving – Lead value stream mapping (VSM), standard work development, daily management systems, and visual controls on assigned manufacturing lines. Drive lean / continuous improvement projects tied to safety, quality, delivery, and cost KPIs. Lead structured root cause analysis (A3, DMAIC, PDCA) to resolve systemic manufacturing issues, translating analysis into measurable and sustained performance improvements.
• Project & Capital Ownership – Own operational improvement and capital projects end‑to‑end: problem definition, scoping, chartering, risk assessment, CAPEX justification, execution, change management, and close‑out within the MAKE Project Governance framework. Manage the idea‑to‑project pipeline: intake, first‑pass evaluation, prioritization, disposition, and assignment for Just Do It and formal projects. Track post‑implementation benefits to ensure improvements are sustained and reflected in operational KPIs.
• Data, Metrics & Performance Rigor – Own and improve operational performance metrics (cycle time, FPY, PPA, throughput), including data integrity, trend analysis, and escalation of systemic risk. Use data to drive prioritization, trade‑off decisions, and visibility to Operations and leadership.
• Documentation, Compliance & Validation – Develop and maintain SOPs, standard work documentation, and work instructions in collaboration with NPI Engineering. Own creation and sustainment of operational documentation (SOPs, standard work, control plans) to ensure changes are compliant, auditable, and scalable. Support validation and qualification activities (IQ/OQ/PQ) in partnership with NPI Engineering and Quality for assigned project deliverables.
• Equipment & System Integration – Partner with Equipment Engineering and Facilities to improve line availability, reliability, and flow through layout optimization, process changes, and data‑driven problem solving. Lead layout and workbench optimization for current and future manufacturing configurations.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Industrial, Manufacturing, Mechanical) or related field;
  Master’s degree preferred.
• 0–2 years of experience in manufacturing operations, process excellence, or project engineering within medical devices, pharma, or regulated industry.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification preferred. PMP or equivalent project management certification preferred.

• Lean tools knowledge: VSM, 5S/6S, Kaizen, PDCA, A3 problem‑solving, SMED, poka‑yoke, SPC, visual management, DMAIC.
• Demonstrated ability to lead structured problem solving tied to measurable business outcomes, not just tool application.
• Strong project management skills: scheduling, budgeting, risk management, stakeholder communication, and governance reporting.
• Commercial manufacturing mindset – ability to think beyond current‑state execution to enable scalable, repeatable, and compliant production systems.
• Cross‑functional collaboration and influencing skills; ability to work effectively with Engineering, Quality, Validation, and Manufacturing teams.
• Strong technical writing for SOPs, validation documentation, project…