Senior Customer Manager, Europe

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.

About the role

Are you passionate about turning innovative ideas into real-world manufacturing excellence? This role serves as the primary driver of Manufacturing Innovations in all the Joints Supply Chain (J&J MedTech) sites in Europe - currently Ireland and the UK. The role is part of the Global Manufacturing Innovation (MI) organization and will be reporting to the Global Director of Manufacturing Innovation. This position demands a hands‑on approach with a significant presence on site, ensuring active engagement and alignment with customer operations and internal innovation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Customer Engagement – Work hand‑in‑glove with site leadership to ensure that their frustrations and opportunities are fully understood. Actively monitor and analyze the manufacturing value streams for opportunities where innovation can make a direct and positive impact to the business.
• Manufacturing Solution Design and Delivery – Identify new opportunities and collaborate with other teams to formulate realistic, high‑impact innovation programmes underpinned by strong return on investment, seeking alignment with key partners and customers.
• Best Value for Money – Develop fully costed and scheduled programmes, secure funding and support for the project from initiation to implementation – from Technology Readiness Level, TRL 1 to TRL 9. Assess internal and external funding opportunities, including government funding and tax incentives, balancing risks and speed of delivery.
• Site Roadmap Ownership – Develop and be accountable for the sites' innovation roadmaps that deliver the required Key Performance Indicators, aligning innovations with site drivers so that a pipeline of impactful innovations are delivered to the site, year on year.
• Programme Delivery – Accountable for programmes from inception to completion, and foster positive relationships built on trust and mutual value. Ensure the programmes are maintained to schedule, budget and risk management plans, delivering the programmes' intended benefits.
• Cross‑functional Collaboration – Work collaboratively across different functions to provide balanced assessments of manufacturing solutions and innovations, ensuring customer needs are met with impactful and timely solutions. Contribute to key site/platform initiatives (e.g. JJPS, JJOS).

Qualifications

• Qualification or equivalent experience in the field of Engineering, Science, Manufacturing, Production and/or Operations Management.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Passionate about leading significant change initiatives that have delivered breakthrough results for an organization.
• Strong customer relationship management, with an ability to understand and address client frustrations and spot opportunities.
• Proven business experience required, with experience in a regulated manufacturing environment, programme delivery and/or people management role.
• Deep understanding of manufacturing processes, technologies, and innovation ecosystems is desirable.

Other Requirements

• Works and communicates well with others in a team environment.
• Comfortable working across multiple geographically dispersed locations.
• Participates in and understands all compliance‑related activities pertaining to the role.
• Follows all local laws and policies and maintains the highest levels of integrity, ethics and compliance always.
• Follows appropriate safety practices in order to prevent accidents to self or others.
• Demonstrates history of positive communication skills showing courtesy, tact, and understanding in interactions with co‑workers, even under stressful circumstances.

Please note that this role is available across multiple countries and may be posted under different requisition numbers to align with local requirements. While you are welcome to apply to any or all of the postings, we recommend focusing on the specific country(s) that align with your preferred location(s), Business, Customer Management, Leadership, Manufacturing.

Preferred Skills

• Developing Others
• Facility Management
• Inclusive Leadership
• Leading Change
• Lean Manufacturing Principles
• Lean Supply Chain Management
• Managing Managers
• Manufacturing Compliance
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Manufacturing Flow Management
• Manufacturing Science and Technology (MSAT)
• Performance Measurement
• Predictive Maintenance
• Product Design
• Report Writing
• Safety‑Oriented
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Application
• Strategic Thinking