Staff Manufacturing Engineer

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Job Position Summary

The Staff Manufacturing Engineer is a senior individual-contributor role providing technical leadership for manufacturing engineering within J&J Vision Care, Limerick. Working in a high-volume, fully automated and highly regulated contact lens manufacturing environment, the Staff Engineer leads complex, high-impact technical initiatives that improve equipment performance, process capability, yield and output, while ensuring operations remain safe, compliant and cost-effective.

The role acts as a subject matter expert and technical authority across one or more value streams, influences technical direction across Engineering, Operations, Quality, R&D and Global Engineering, and coaches and mentors engineers to raise the technical capability of the wider team. The Staff Engineer reports to the Manufacturing Engineering Manager and has no direct line management responsibility, but is expected to lead through influence.

Duties & Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Act as the senior technical authority for manufacturing equipment and processes, providing direction on complex troubleshooting, root cause analysis and long-term technical solutions.
• Lead the design, installation, qualification, optimisation and standardisation of lens production processes, equipment, tooling and controls, ensuring solutions are scalable and, where appropriate, deployed across multiple lines and value streams.
• Drive year-on-year improvements in equipment OEE, process capability, yield and output through structured problem solving, data analysis and Lean / Six Sigma methodologies.
• Develop and maintain technical roadmaps for assigned platforms, including obsolescence and aged-asset mitigation, technology upgrades and capability development.
• Provide technical input to capital investment proposals, business cycle planning and cost-saving programmes.

Projects, NPI & Continuous Improvement

• Lead large, cross-functional engineering projects from concept through design, installation, commissioning, validation and ramp-up, including new product introductions (NPI), line conversions and capacity expansion.
• Identify and lead cost, quality and technical improvement initiatives under the site continuous improvement programme, quantifying benefits and delivering to agreed timelines and budgets.
• Apply robust project management governance, providing timely and accurate status reporting to stakeholders and leadership.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends, and introduce those that deliver a measurable benefit to safety, quality, delivery and cost.

Quality, Compliance & EHS

• Ensure all engineering activities conform to corporate, franchise, statutory and regulatory requirements for GMP, EHS and Quality, including change control, equipment qualification and process validation.
• Own or support effective closure of Quality System actions such as CAPAs, non-conformances, audit actions and risk assessments.
• Embed safety and environmental requirements in the purchase, modification and operation of new and existing equipment, including machine safety standards.
• Create, review and approve technical documentation, including specifications, protocols, work instructions and troubleshooting guides.
• Act as a subject matter expert during internal and external audits.

Collaboration, Coaching & Culture

• Partner with Operations, Quality, R&D, Supply Chain, Strategic Sourcing and Global Engineering to deliver value stream safety, quality, delivery and cost objectives.
• Build relationships with other J&J sites, equipment vendors and external experts to share best practice and leverage learnings.
• Mentor and coach Associate, Manufacturing and Senior Engineers, supporting their technical and career development.
• Role-model Our Credo and JJVC behavioural standards, and contribute to a high-performance, inclusive team culture.
• Support the Engineering Manager in developing and implementing strategic engineering goals and objectives.
• All employees are responsible for minimising the environmental and health and safety impact of the work they perform.

Experience & Education

Essential

• Level 8 Bachelor's degree (B.Eng. or B.Sc.) in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Production, Industrial, Automation or a related engineering discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of 8 years' engineering experience in a high-volume, automated manufacturing environment, with a proven record of leading technical projects and improvements.
• Demonstrated experience in equipment or process design, installation, qualification and validation within a regulated industry such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals or similar.

Desirable

• Master's degree in Engineering or a related discipline.
• Experience with contact lens manufacturing, injection moulding, high-speed automated assembly or similar high-volume processes.
• Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification, or equivalent statistical problem-solving training.
• Experience in FDA-regulated and ISO 13485 environments, including equipment validation.
• Project management certification or training (e.g., J&J Flawless Project Execution, PMP).

Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Certifications/Licences and Affiliations

Technical Knowledge

• Deep knowledge of complex automated manufacturing equipment, including mechanical systems, pneumatics, vacuum, motion control and PLC-based controls.
• Strong understanding of process control, statistical methods (e.g., DOE, SPC, capability analysis) and structured root cause analysis.
• Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma and continuous improvement tools.
• Knowledge of equipment qualification and validation principles, GMP, change control and machine safety standards.
• Proficiency with engineering and data analysis tools, including CAD and Excel; familiarity with data analytics and digital manufacturing tools is an advantage.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong analytical and scientific approach to problem solving, blending data analysis and experimentation to maximise productivity and yield.
• Ability to influence and build consensus across functions and organisational levels, including senior stakeholders.
• Excellent project management, written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative, prioritise competing demands and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to safety, quality and compliance.
• Passion for coaching and developing others, with a collaborative and continuous-learning mindset.

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

The anticipated base pay range for this position is:

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.