Director, Design Engineering, Cardiac Product Development

Intuitive•Sunnyvale, CA

3d•$200,600 - $354,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Cardiac Product Development leads cross functional product development teams to develop a portfolio of instrument and accessory products that enable cardiac surgery with the da Vinci system. They also directly manage an organization of instrument and accessory design engineers. This role reports to the VP of Design Engineering for Instruments & Accessories and has “dotted line” reporting to the corporate VP for cardiac surgery (cardiac business unit lead). The Director is responsible for ensuring new instrument and accessory product development efforts support Intuitive’s strategy for cardiac surgery, and that product development teams execute to deliver the needed portfolio of cardiac products. The scope of responsibility includes new product development (NPD) programs as well as early-stage feasibility efforts and sustaining engineering for products on the market. Responsibilities of the role include growing, developing, and operating a team capable of executing multiple cross-functional product development efforts running concurrently. The Director has technical depth and leadership skills to ensure product development teams deliver high quality products that meet both customer needs and business objectives.

Requirements

B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related engineering field
At least 12 years of experience developing medical products or other relevant R&D experience
At least 5 years of experience as a people manager and experience managing managers
Skilled in all phases of medical device product development processes, including design control (ISO 13485) and risk management (ISO 14971)
Experience developing surgical or interventional medical devices for treatment of cardiovascular disease
Skilled and experienced in mechanical design of small, precision medical devices. Able to apply engineering fundamentals to ensure high quality output by their team.
Effective hiring and personnel performance management
Experienced in organizational design of product development teams
Ability to manage through managers
Ability to lead cross-functionally, including building alignment, resolving conflicts, and removing roadblocks

Nice To Haves

Able to develop highly capable leaders and product development teams
Selfless leader who inspires trust and commitment within the team and with key stakeholders through integrity, passion, and professional excellence
Ability to develop budgets and other resource plans for their organization and for large cross-functional teams/programs
Able to drive, manage, and navigate change within their team and across the cardiac product development organization
Ability to communicate effectively to audiences ranging from individual contributors to senior stakeholders within the company and outside the company
Understanding of business concepts including finance and business operations to inform decision making and problem solving
Simulated and real operating room environments

Responsibilities

Setting long-term strategic vision, aligning team goals with business objectives
Growing, developing, and managing an organization of design engineers supporting a portfolio of cardiac instrument and accessory products
Managing a team of people managers with responsibility for product development activities through the entire product lifecycle, including early exploration and feasibility, new product development, and sustaining engineering.
Creating teams to address product quality, cost, and supply chain issues as needed
Translating customer needs and business strategies into detailed organizational and product development plans in collaboration with senior management and cross-functional stakeholders
Setting goals for their organization, aligned with business and corporate strategy. Informing and shaping cardiac business unit strategy and goals.
Collaborating with other key functions such as regulatory affairs, product management, and PMO to create product roadmaps and project plans that address customer and business needs
Working cross-functionally and anticipating and mitigating challenges to ensure on-time delivery of innovative, high-quality products that meet the needs of customers
Communicating directly with senior executives at the company on product development plans and status
Championing design innovation and creation of intellectual property
Ensuring Intuitive’s product development processes are effectively applied to cardiac instrument and accessory programs and advancing those processes to support Intuitive’s business needs