Director Engineering, Supplier Development

Edwards Lifesciences • Irvine, CA

12d • $159,000 - $226,000

About The Position

The Director Engineering will lead the Supplier Development Advanced Catheter category and provide strategic support to external manufacturing. The role leads supplier development engineering across new product development, commercialization, and lifecycle management, ensuring supplier readiness, technical capability, and long-term performance. It provides engineering leadership throughout product development, including design development, design for manufacturability, verification, validation, qualification, and commercialization. The Director also leads technical oversight and development of external suppliers and contract manufacturers for complex interventional catheter systems, components, and delivery technologies, and drives lifecycle management and continuous improvement for commercial products.

This is a hands-on technical and people leadership role involving cross-functional collaboration, coaching and mentorship, talent development, succession planning, and performance management. The position requires travel up to 35% domestically and internationally to engage with suppliers and manufacturing partners.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• Experience in manufacturing, including managing external vendors and suppliers across sustaining engineering and new product development programs.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing high-performing engineering teams within a regulated medical device environment.
• Ability to travel up to 35% domestically and internationally to engage with suppliers and manufacturing partners.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or a Master’s degree in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Biomedical Engineering.
• Medical device experience in new product development, including successful design optimization from development through commercialization.
• Experience in more than one of the following areas: interventional access devices, rapid product development and manufacturing of components, and complex assembly design.
• Experience with catheter and related manufacturing processes, including extrusion, braiding, molding, laser cutting, and bonding.
• Experience with rapid product development in cross-functional teams, creative design, prototyping, and test method development, including in-vitro testing.
• Ability to apply technical knowledge and judgment to complex engineering problems.
• Knowledge of DFM, GD&T, and Six Sigma methodology.
• Broad perspective and effective judgment, with well-reasoned problem-solving and decision-making skills and the ability to be bold and decisive to drive action.
• Ability to build a shared vision, inspire others, set clear direction, and establish plans consistent with that direction.

Responsibilities

• Lead Supplier Development Engineering activities across new product development, commercialization, and lifecycle management.
• Ensure supplier readiness, technical capability, and long-term performance.
• Partner with R&D, NPD, Sourcing, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing, Quality, and Program Management to develop and commercialize cardiovascular technologies.
• Provide engineering leadership throughout design development, design for manufacturability, verification, validation, qualification, and commercialization.
• Lead development, qualification, and technical oversight of external suppliers and contract manufacturers, including those supporting complex interventional catheter systems, components, and delivery technologies.
• Drive lifecycle management and continuous improvement across commercial products, including supplier capability, manufacturing processes, quality, reliability, and scalability.
• Provide technical direction, coaching, and mentorship while fostering accountability, collaboration, and innovation.
• Build organizational capability through talent development, targeted assignments, training, and succession planning aligned with business needs.
• Establish clear objectives and manage team performance to support high-quality, on-time execution of engineering programs and deliverables.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries.
• Performance-based incentives.
• A wide variety of benefits programs to address the diverse individual needs of employees and their families.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director