Strategy & External Innovation Manager

Role Overview

• Lead research, structured analyses, insight generation, and recommendation development for complex technology initiatives.
• Translate technology, market, and ecosystem trends into clear implications for J&J’s technology priorities, operating model, and capabilities.
• Build strategy components including vision, milestones, business model considerations, and opportunities for competitive advantage.
• Work across a cross-functional team to gather input and consensus on strategic insights and outcomes.
• Build, codify, and maintain a repeatable sourcing and external engagement framework for deep tech and enterprise software solutions tied to enterprise priorities.
• Establish hypotheses, search strategies, assessment criteria, and systematic workflows for discovery → assessment → engagement → progression.
• Create internal guidance, playbooks, templates, governance, and decision-gate mechanisms for evaluating external partners.
• Map and maintain the external ecosystem across startups, academia, enterprise vendors, research labs, and strategic partners.
• Own the analysis, synthesis, and communication of opportunity assessments, feasibility evaluations, strategic fit, and expected outcomes for technology leadership.
• Build crisp, executive-ready presentations articulating: technology impact on business and IT outcomes value cases and adoption rationale risks, integration considerations, and time-to-value.
• Develop a consistent methodology for opportunity scoring and measuring impact from programs.
• Develop clear, succinct executive-level narratives and visual communication that articulate technology strategies and their impact on enterprise IT outcomes.
• Present recommendations to senior leaders with confidence, clarity, and strong storytelling.
• Bring structure, operational discipline, and momentum to complex, ambiguous initiatives.

Requirements

• 3–6+ years in management consulting, technology strategy, external innovation, enterprise technology, or related fields.
• Experience working across enterprise health technology, enterprise software, AI/ML, or emerging tech domains; exposure to quantum strategy or advanced compute a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to break down ambiguous problems and build structured, analytical approaches.
• Proven experience communicating to executive audiences and building compelling presentations that influence decisions.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills; ability to quickly synthesize large amounts of information into clear insights.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and driving complex initiatives to completion.
• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to influence across technical and business teams.

Benefits

• Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees are 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.
• Subject to the terms of their respective policies and date of hire, employees are eligible for the following time off benefits:
• Vacation –120 hours per calendar year
• Sick time
• 40 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Colorado –48 hours per calendar year; for employees who reside in the State of Washington –56 hours per calendar year
• Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays –13 days per calendar year
• Work, Personal and Family Time
• up to 40 hours per calendar year
• Parental Leave – 480 hours within one year of the birth/adoption/foster care of a child
• Bereavement Leave – 240 hours for an immediate family member: 40 hours for an extended family member per calendar year
• Caregiver Leave – 80 hours in a 52-week rolling period
• Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year
• Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year