Staff FPGA Engineer

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine • Santa Clara, CA

1d • $134,000 - $231,150 • Onsite

About The Position

Johnson & Johnson, Robotics and Digital Solutions (RAD) R&D group is recruiting for a Staff FPGA Engineer located in Santa Clara, CA. At Johnson & Johnson Robotics and Digital Solutions, we’re changing the trajectory of health for humanity, using robotics to enhance healthcare providers’ abilities and improve patients’ diagnoses, treatments, and recovery times. Johnson & Johnson Robotics was established in 2020 with the integration of Auris Health, Verb Surgical, C-SATS, and Ethicon. It comprises three key med-tech platforms: Flexible Robotics (MONARCH®), Surgical Robotics (OTTAVA™), and Digital Solutions. Join our collaborative, rapidly growing teams in the San Francisco Bay Area (Redwood City and Santa Clara), Cincinnati, and Seattle. You’ll collaborate on breakthrough medical technologies that unite multiple subject areas to build a connected digital ecosystem that advances medical professionals’ skills and improves patient outcomes. Johnson & Johnson MedTech is developing a robotic surgical platform that will set a new standard for the modern OR and transform the surgical experience. OTTAVA is designed as a multi-specialty soft-tissue surgery robot, activating the benefits of AI/ML, connecting health data inside the operating room and out.

Within RAD R&D we are a team of clinical, electrical, firmware, human factors, industrial design, mechanical, mechatronics, robotic controls, systems, software and UI/UX engineers and technical members who are passionate about improving patient care. The team includes a wide range of experience levels from junior engineers to industry experts. We follow an iterative, collaborative approach to product development, working across clinical, instrument, accessories, and system teams. We prioritize autonomy, foster a culture of learning, and value diversity of thought and background. Our environment is inclusive, supportive, and driven by a shared commitment to innovation and excellence in healthcare.

As a Staff Engineer on the R&D Hardware team focused on FPGA development, you will join us in our journey to design and deliver some of the most advanced medical robotic systems in the world. You will collaborate with multi-functional peers to design and implement FPGA solutions, drive technical decisions and deliver production ready logic that meets deterministic timing requirements, supports highly parallel algorithms, and implements custom vision and robotic control features. This role offers significant technical leadership, growth opportunities, and the chance to have a significant impact on global healthcare. We encourage applicants from a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences to apply.

Requirements

• Bachelors in Electrical Engineering (or related fields) with 8+ years of industrial experience.
• Strong experience in FPGA design, verification, and deployment.
• Strong understanding of FPGA architecture, digital signal processing, and high-speed design and protocols.
• Deep expertise in HDL languages (VHDL/Verilog/System Verilog).
• Extensive experience with FPGA development tools.
• Solid knowledge of various protocols to interface different peripherals: PCIe, Aurora, EtherCat, Ethernet, DDR4, 10G, SPI, I2C, etc.
• Skilled in scripting language (TCL, Python, etc.).
• Skilled in verification techniques, and timing/stability analysis.
• Proficiency in understanding PCB designs and embedded software.
• Familiarity with hardware/software co-design and integration.
• Understanding of OVM/UVM framework and methodology.
• Experience with vision and robotic hardware design and integration.
• Familiarity with sense technology applications.
• Evaluate options for improving the motor controller architecture.
• Proven ability to lead FPGA design reviews and present complex RTL, timing, and integration concepts clearly to cross‑functional team.
• Demonstrates a growth mindset with a strong willingness to learn, seek feedback, and continuously improve technical and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Collect requirements from different sources, decomposite and guide FPGA architectures and design decision.
• Own designs end to end to meet customer needs, performance targets, and regulatory expectations.
• Design, develop and maintain high-quality FPGA solutions for vision, robotic control, instruments, and surgical applications.
• Develop test benches, test plans, and test cases to verify FPGA designs meet the design requirements.
• Conduct engineer studies to understand the system performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement continuous improvements and optimizations.
• Perform root cause investigations on electrical and software related issues that arise during the prototype and production processes.
• Collaborate across teams to support integration, testing, and delivery while building strong partnerships and contributing effectively in an iterative hardware‑software development cycle.
• Document designs, specifications, and requirements according to design control processes.
• Lead design review, demonstrate requirement traceability.
• Stay up to date with FPGA technology and industry standards, mentor junior engineers.

Benefits

• The anticipated base pay range for this position is $134,000.00 to $231,150.00
• The Company maintains highly competitive, performance-based compensation programs.
• Under current guidelines, this position is eligible for an annual performance bonus in accordance with the terms of the applicable plan. The annual performance bonus is a cash bonus intended to provide an incentive to achieve annual targeted results by rewarding for individual and the corporation’s performance over a calendar/performance year. Bonuses are awarded at the Company’s discretion on an individual basis.
• Employees and/or eligible dependents may be eligible to participate in the following Company sponsored employee benefit programs: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, business accident insurance, and group legal insurance.
• Employees may be eligible to participate in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension) and savings plan (401(k)).
• This position is eligible to participate in the Company’s long-term incentive program.
• Employees are eligible for the following time off benefits: Vacation – up to 120 hours per calendar year Sick time - up to 40 hours per calendar year Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays – up to 13 days per calendar year Work, Personal and Family Time - up to 40 hours per calendar year
• For additional general information on Company benefits, please go to: https://www.careers.jnj.com/employee-benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level