Systems & Simulation Engineering Intern - Robotics R&D at Johnson & Johnson in Santa Clara, California, United States of America

Job description

• Fueled 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 surgery? Ready to join a team that’s reimagining how we heal? Our Surgery team will give you the chance to deliver surgical technologies and solutions to surgeons and
• healthcare professionals around the world. Your contributions will help effectively treat some of the world’s most prevalent conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Patients are waiting.
• Your unique talents will help patients on their journey to wellness. Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/medtech
• We are searching for the best talent for Systems & Simulation Engineering Interns within Robotics R&D.
• Purpose: This internship is based in Santa Clara, California and offers a unique opportunity for students with a background in systems engineering, robotics, simulation, controls, software, or mechanical engineering who are passionate about medical robotics. Interns will work alongside systems, mechanical, mechatronics, controls, electrical, software, and clinical engineering teams to support the design and analysis of complex robotic systems. This role will contribute to architectural modeling, simulation-based design, requirements development, system characterization, and verification activities that help advance robotic surgical platforms and improve patient outcomes worldwide.
• As a Systems and Simulation Engineer Intern, you will work on the development and testing of robotic surgical systems through systems engineering and simulation-based analysis. You will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to model complex system behavior, evaluate design tradeoffs, support requirements development and verification, and generate insights that inform system architecture and design decisions. This role offers exposure to advanced robotic technologies, model-based development practices, and simulation tools used throughout the product development lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and execution of system-level and subsystem-level simulations for robotic surgical platforms.
• Collaborate with systems, mechanical, electrical, controls, and software engineers to model system behavior and evaluate design performance.
• Analyze simulation and test data to identify trends, characterize system performance, and provide recommendations to guide engineering decisions.
• Assist with requirements development, traceability, and verification planning to ensure system designs meet intended performance objectives.
• Support system architecture studies, tradeoff analyses, and interface definition activities across multidisciplinary teams.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, engineering reports, and presentations summarizing simulation methodologies, assumptions, results, and conclusions.
• Support laboratory testing and correlation of simulation results with experimental data.
• Contribute to the creation of tools, scripts, or automation workflows that improve analysis, simulation, and engineering efficiency.

Requirements

• Education
• Applicants must be pursuing a graduate degree or a bachelor’s degree (junior or senior) in Systems Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field, and must plan to return to an academic program after the completion of the internship.
• Experience and Skills
• Self-starter with a consistent record of engaging in self-directed learning and remaining productive with minimal direction.
• Fundamental understanding of engineering principles including dynamics, controls, robotics, mechanics, or system modeling.
• Experience using engineering analysis, simulation, or computational tools through coursework, research projects, design teams, or internships.
• Experience collecting, analyzing, and interpreting technical data to draw meaningful conclusions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to document technical work clearly.
• Available to work full-time (40 hours/week) and during hours agreed upon with the hiring manager.
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 reflective of all coursework.
• Commitment to June 1 – August 20, 2027, or June 21 – September 10, 2027; term dates to align with cohort.
• Must have work authorization in the United States at the time of hire and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment.
• Nice-to-Have
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly learn, evaluate, and adopt new AI tools and platforms to meet evolving project needs.
• Experience with simulation and modeling tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, ANSYS, Abaqus, Simscape, Gazebo, or similar platforms.
• Familiarity with finite element analysis (FEA), multibody dynamics, controls simulation, or system performance modeling.
• Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, C++, or similar languages.
• Experience developing scripts to automate data analysis, simulation workflows, or testing activities.
• Exposure to systems engineering concepts such as requirements development, requirements traceability, interface management, risk analysis, or verification and validation.
• Experience partitioning and decomposing complex engineering problems into solvable problems.
• Experience with robotics, autonomous systems, medical devices, or other complex electromechanical systems.
• Familiarity with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), SysML, JAMA, DOORS, or similar systems engineering tools.

Skills

Required

• Self-starter
• MATLAB/Simulink
• ANSYS
• Abaqus
• Simscape
• Gazebo
• Finite element analysis (FEA)
• Multibody dynamics
• Controls simulation
• System performance modeling
• Python
• MATLAB

Benefits

• Contribute to impactful projects that directly improve surgical outcomes and patient safety.
• Gain broad exposure across robotics, AI/ML, system integration, and clinical workflows.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including electrical, mechanical, and controls engineers.
• Work in an inclusive, innovative, and growth-oriented environment.
• Mentorship and professional development opportunities.
• Ineligibility for severance.
• The expected base pay for this position is Sophomore $32/hr, Junior $35.50/hr, Senior $39/hr, Master’s degree $46.50/hr, PhD degree $61/hr.
• Co-Ops/Interns are eligible to participate in Company sponsored employee medical benefits in accordance with the terms of the plan. Co-Ops and Interns are eligible for the following sick time benefits: up to 40 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Washington, up to 56 hours per calendar year Co-Ops and Interns are eligible to participate in the Company’s consolidated retirement plan (pension)