Senior Quality Engineer - Orthopedics

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.

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Job Function:

Quality

Job Sub Function:

Quality Assurance

Job Category:

Professional

All Job Posting Locations:

Ringaskiddy, Cork, Ireland

Job Description:

About Orthopaedics

Fuelled 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

DePuy Synthes are looking for a Senior Quality Engineer - Orthopedics, to be based at the Ringaskiddy Cork site.

As a Senior Quality Engineer, you will be:

The Senior Quality Engineer plans, conducts and directs engineering projects or studies including complete projects requiring advanced knowledge of a specialized field.   They apply comprehensive and diverse knowledge of engineering principles and practices within broad assignment areas.  They may coordinate and direct activities of technical support staff and are responsible for technical development of assigned staff.

The Senior Quality Engineer will utilize Quality Engineering tools and practices for the effective and efficient development, transfer and maintenance of products/processes throughout the product lifecycle. The incumbent will also utilize Quality Engineering principles and problem-solving skills to improve and maintain products/processes that are aligned with the overall Quality and Business vision. He/she will utilize appropriate risk management to prevent unanticipated failure modes and improve capability of processes.  This person will support processes in base business.

The responsibilities and the impact YOU will have: 

In accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws/regulations and Corporate Johnson & Johnson, procedures and guidelines, this position:

Business Improvements

• Support quality improvement initiatives such as process and product characterizations that lead to continuous / cost improvements.
• Review/analyse the effectiveness of PDCA, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Lean Techniques and/or other improvement tools and programs.
• Conduct benchmarking to develop more effective methods for improving quality
• Supports the development of quality engineering and quality compliance with the right skill sets for new product introductions, and product life cycle management.

Compliance/Regulatory

• Review/analyse whether current product and processes (including actions or decisions conducted) are in compliance to standards such as the QSRs, ISO 13485, etc.

• Champions compliance to applicable Global Regulations and standards (e.g. QSRs, ISO, EN and Medical Device Directive (MDD) requirements) including providing support during internal and external audits.

• Conduct periodic line audits to assess for production controls such as lot segregation.  Review results of area audits to ensure that corrective and preventive actions are adequate.

• Partners with R&D and other cross functional partners to ensure the proper application of design controls, risk management and the investigation/correction of design failures/challenges.

• Supports new product introduction as part of design transfer.

• Lead and maintain Material Review Board.
• Conduct investigation, bounding, documentation, review and approval of non-conformances, CAPAs and customer complaints.  Escalation of quality issues as appropriate.

• Accountability and ownership for material identification, material segregation, classification of defect types including the successful application of these techniques on a day-to-day basis in manufacturing.
• Analyse/review effectiveness of preventive and corrective actions.  Review root cause investigation according to an established process.
• Accountability and ownership of Quality metrics including maintenance and reviewing of leading and lagging indicators of quality.

Product/Process Qualification

• Approve IQ, OQ, PQ, TMV or Software Validation.

Production/Process Controls including Control Plans

• Partners with J&J Global Supply chain, Finished Goods and material suppliers to ensure appropriate application of process validation, process control, and risk management; and the investigation/correction of process failures when needed.

• Conduct stakeholder analysis to ensure that customer CTQs are known and adequately addressed in control plan.
• Develop measurement systems/capabilities, destructive tests, non-destructive tests for manufacturing processes.
• Develop control plans consistent with product classification, potential defect types, defect frequency, severity, patient risk, process capability, process controls, etc.
• Develop, interpret and implement appropriate process monitoring and control methods consistent with the level of process/product risk.
• Collect data and execute/conduct various analytical/statistical analysis and interpretation as part of process improvements and day-to-day support.
• Develop, interpret and implement standard and non-standard sampling plans.
• Assess effectiveness of measurement tools, destructive tests, non-destructive tests, measurement system analysis.
• Accountability and ownership for sampling plans of all types including acceptability of risk given the product classification, potential defect types, defect frequency, severity, patient risk, process capability, process controls, etc. including assessing, applying and interpreting acceptance sampling standard for manufacturing data.
• Assess and interpret common versus special cause variation in manufacturing processing and determine adequacy of current process limits.

Risk Mitigation

• Document, justify, review or analyse whether a proposed change to a process will not enhance the risk level in some way beyond capability of current controls or whether change will result in potential non-compliance to a required standard such as the QSRs.
• Assess the need for risk mitigation techniques given product classification, potential defect types, defect frequency, severity, patient risk, process capability, process controls, etc. Determine effectiveness of these techniques on previously implemented improvements.

Strategic

Ensures effective quality strategies are created for the validation of test methods, process and design.

Responsible for communicating business related issues or opportunities to next management level.

• Responsible for following all Company guidelines related to Health, Safety and Environmental practices as applicable.
• For those who supervise or manage a staff, responsible for ensuring that subordinates follow all Company guidelines related to Health, Safety and Environmental practices and that all resources needed to do so are available and in good condition, if applicable.
• Responsible for ensuring personal and Company compliance with all Federal, State, local and Company regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Performs other duties assigned as needed.

We would love to hear from YOU, if you have the following essential requirements:

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Engineering or related technical field. Generally, requires 4-6 years related experience.
• Experience working in both an FDA and European regulatory environment is preferred.
• This position will require relevant experience working in manufacturing/operations.
• In-depth knowledge of product/process Risk Management (FDA and ISO standards) is required.
• Experience with a proven track record of implementing appropriate risk mitigation.
• Technical training and experience using Statistics, Lean and Six Sigma Methodologies is required including Measurement System Analysis, SPC, DOEs, Reliability, etc.
• Strong knowledge of statistical software packages is preferred with the ability to preview, graph and analyse data and be able to present data that facilitates/drives decision making.
• The ability to perform "hands on" troubleshooting and problem solving is required.  The ability to think on the feet and providing sound judgment is highly desired.
• Good technical understanding of manufacturing equipment and processes is required.
• Understanding of the NPI (New Product Introduction) process and Process Validation expertise is preferred.
• A thorough understanding of GMP/ISO regulations and validation regulations is preferred.
• Advanced knowledge and proven leadership in the areas listed in the Duties and Responsibilities associated with the position.
• Demonstrated project management and project leadership abilities are required.
• Continuous Improvement Focus.

• Understanding of the NPI (New Product Introduction) process and Process Validation expertise is preferred.
• A thorough understanding of GMP/ISO regulations and validation regulations is preferred.
• Advanced knowledge and experience in the areas listed in the Duties and Responsibilities associated with the position.
• Demonstrated project management and project leadership abilities are preferred.

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

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

Business Alignment, Business Behavior, Coaching, Compliance Management, Continuous Improvement, Data Analysis, Detail-Oriented, Goal Attainment, Human-Centered Design, Internal Controls, Issue Escalation, Problem Solving, Process Oriented, Quality Control (QC), Quality Management Systems (QMS), Quality Standards

The anticipated base pay range for this position is:

€53,200.00 - €84,295.00

Benefits:

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.