BOKISSONTHRONE: 3 Ways Johnson & Johnson Supports Women in Making a Difference in STEM2D

We believe that women are powerful catalysts for change and, as leaders, they create healthier people, healthier communities and a healthier world. By empowering them and mobilizing our partners to do the same, we are igniting support around women’s leadership, building our business and creating change. And, when it comes to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, manufacturing and design (STEM2D), we’re propelling, encouraging and supporting women to pursue careers in those fields.

But our support for women isn’t new. In fact, it began in 1886—our founding year—when more than half of our 14 employees were women.

In 1905, chemist Edith von K--- became our first female scientist and one of only four staff scientists at the time. This was at a time when fewer than 3% of American women attended college. Today, 45% of our more than 130,000 associates globally are women, and 43% are in management positions that guide our corporate strategy.

We have invested and continue to invest in initiatives like our WiSTEM2D Scholars Program, which provides funding and mentorship for women in STEM2D concentration areas. We've also entered into 11 partnerships to help increase the number of women declaring majors in STEM2D fields, and we’re working to inspire 1 million young women to get involved in STEM2D by 2020. Our goal is to achieve a 50% representation of women across these areas in our business units.

We recently spoke to some great women who have seen their STEM2D careers flourish within Johnson & Johnson. These women have developed both professionally and personally—and we’re proud to provide them with a working environment and culture where they can thrive and make a difference. Here are three ways we help them do just that.

Professional Development Opportunities
Whether you’re joining us right out of school or have previous work experience, Johnson & Johnson offers many opportunities for professional and personal development in STEM2D careers across our many companies in the consumer, medical devices and pharmaceutical spaces.

As a student, you can start your STEM2D career with us in an internship or a co-op role. And once you graduate, you can join one of our leadership development programs, like the Global Operations Leadership Development (GOLD) Program, a two-year rotational program offering university graduates the opportunity to accelerate their career growth in the engineering, operations and quality disciplines.

You can also join our Information Technology Leadership Development Program (ITLDP), which is designed for college graduates who are passionate about building a career in technology. There are opportunities to work as a project manager, business analyst or business technologist, and in areas like advanced business analytics, software engineering, digital marketing and cybersecurity.

As an experienced professional, there are many different fields—from information technology to research and development, engineering to operations and supply chain—that could be a great fit. And once you’re in those roles, you’ll always have opportunities to be challenged and grow professionally. STEM2D roles are critical for the future of healthcare—allowing us to make valuable contributions to our communities, companies and the world in the decades ahead.

But don’t take it from us. Hear from Michelle Kramer, Vice President of U.S. Neuroscience, Medical Affairs at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., about how Johnson & Johnson continues to ignite her career in STEM2D.

Even those whose backgrounds or degrees don’t traditionally translate to STEM2D roles can take advantage of different opportunities that can lead to growth in these functions and significantly impact the health of billions worldwide.

When Tara Ramsey joined Johnson & Johnson 15 years ago, she didn’t realize that she could take her career in the STEM2D direction. Today, however, Tara is Director of Transportation Sourcing at Customer & Logistics Services (CLS)—a global supply chain organization that supports operating units across all the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies.

“As time went on, I discovered that there are a lot of different parts to STEM2D that I could grow my career in, whether it was in sourcing analytics, leading an engineering team or performing various cost benefit analyses,” she said.

Sometimes, professionals leave the STEM2D industry for a while—and at Johnson & Johnson, we’re committed to getting them back up to speed when they decide to continue their journey. We’ve created our Re-ignite Program—a five-month assignment with the opportunity to apply for full-time roles upon completion—to help them build their capabilities, enhance their leadership skills and continue with their career.

A Culture of Innovation
At Johnson & Johnson, we look for people who are prepared to infuse their unique perspectives, backgrounds and experiences into our business process and thinking. This inclusive perspective expands innovation by creating a culture that combines compassion, scientific rigor and out-of-the-box ingenuity.

We recognize that women are not only caregivers and mothers. They’re also scientists, technologists, innovators, mentors, business leaders, community champions and the driving force behind the health of our future world. Their diverse experiences and backgrounds fuel our innovations in human health. Johnson & Johnson has always welcomed forward-thinking women who can transform the way we do things and help us serve our consumers and our patients better.

From fighting the world’s deadliest diseases—HIV, Ebola, cancer and more—to creating new technologies that put the patients at the forefront of healthcare, Johnson & Johnson is giving its employees all the tools they need to achieve their highest potential and create innovations not found anywhere else.

Mentorship
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe that mentors play a critical role in guiding women throughout their careers and on paths to leadership. We’ve forged partnerships with Girls, Inc.—a nonprofit organization with the central goal of empowering and inspiring girls and young women—and Vital Voices—another nonprofit that works with women leaders in the areas of economic empowerment, women’s political participation and human rights. Moreover, our Johnson & Johnson Bridge to Employment (BTE) program is aimed to increase the number of students who enroll in higher education as well as increase the number of students pursuing health or science careers through mentorship. These kinds of partnerships build critical connections and help women leaders drive progress around the world.

Our employees are readily available to help their colleagues succeed. Our Women’s Leadership & Inclusion (WLI)—one of Johnson & Johnson’s largest employee resource groups—helps connect and engage women across the company to develop their potential, build relationship capital and drive an inclusive environment and culture.

At Johnson & Johnson, we empower our own current and future women leaders in diverse STEM2D fields, which has created a culture that leverages the insights and talents of women from around the globe to build a healthier tomorrow.

If you’re ready to ignite a career in STEM2D with measurable positive impact the world over, we’d love to meet you. We’ve got thousands of positions available at Johnson & Johnson locations around the globe. Apply today. We can’t wait to connect with you.