Director of Product Development Dental Devices

Kerr Corporation•Pomona, CA

61d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Product Development - Dental Devices will be primarily responsible for driving strategic product innovation, development, and sustaining activities for the company's dental equipment and material delivery devices. Responsibilities include strategic planning, technical leadership, budget management, managing and mentoring the team responsible for dental devices, tracking KPIs, and ensuring timely product delivery. The role is based out of our Pomona, CA site and will be required to work onsite 4 days a week.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering is required. Master's degree highly preferred.
10+ years of experience developing medical devices.
5+ years developing dental devices.
5+ years leading a product development team(s).
Extensive experience in the full lifecycle of medical device product development with Class I, II, IIa (U.S. and Europe).
Must reside within a commutable distance to Pomona, CA.

Nice To Haves

Proven track record of successful product launches targeting a global customer base.
Proficient in product development best practices (i.e. DFM, DOE, FMEA, Lean PD, and agile methods).
Expertise, proven track record, and recent work experience in design, development, and manufacturing of plastic injection molding parts with a focus on low-cost consumables.
Expertise, proven track record, and recent work experience in design, development, and manufacturing of complex electromechanical systems
Intermediate Microsoft Office including Excel and PowerPoint
Strong verbal and technical written communication skills in English
Strong presentation skills and ability to translate highly technical information
Ability to empower others to excel by holding them accountable, managing performance effectively, and confidently addressing challenging conversations with a positive and constructive approach
Ability to build strong partnerships with other departments
Ability to adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment
Strong analytical skills and ability to leverage data when presenting a business case
Ability to handle situations with confidence, tact, and resourcefulness
Detail-oriented and the ability to solve complex problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists
Proven skills in active listening with a seeking-to-understand approach

Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership & Development: Build and lead a high-performing, adaptable, and agile team through strategic hiring, behavior and performance management, leadership development, and capacity planning. Mentor and coach technical leaders to foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and excellence.
Innovation & Funnel Development: Partner with Product Management to drive strong innovation pipeline creation by engaging with customers, KOLs, and strategic partners. Facilitate ideation and concept development for new products and business strategies. Generate intellectual properties.
System Integration & Collaboration Ensure products are developed as integrated systems by aligning material requirements with delivery mechanisms. Foster strong collaboration between materials and engineering teams to optimize performance and innovation.
Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships: Contribute to corporate strategic planning and project objective development. Lead or support external technology partnerships and M&A activities to expand capabilities and market reach.
Product Strategy & Roadmap Execution: Partner with Product Management and other stakeholders to define, maintain, and execute a robust product roadmap. Identify opportunities to innovate across products, processes, and programs, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy and market needs.
Cross-Functional & Global Collaboration: Cultivate strong partnerships across global and cross-functional teams to align efforts with the company's vision. Promote high employee engagement and job satisfaction to maximize team performance. Partner with PMO to drive towards program management excellence.
Technical Leadership & Execution: Utilize internal and external resources to provide hands-on technical guidance to develop advanced solutions. Introduce emerging technologies and methodologies to enhance product quality and accelerate time to market.
Sustaining & Global Support Partner with global stakeholders and drive sustaining efforts to ensure product reliability, resolution of complaints, and support of global operations. Collaborate cross-functionally to drive root cause analysis, maintain product availability, and uphold quality standards across markets.
Risk Anticipation & Mitigation Proactively anticipate and address risks to minimize disruption and ensure continuity. Respond swiftly to unforeseen challenges to protect the product pipeline and operations.
Regulatory & Process Compliance Ensure global adherence to regulatory requirements and internal processes to maintain compliance, product integrity, and operational excellence.
Operational Excellence: Streamline infrastructure, remove barriers, and champion continuous improvement initiatives including Kaizen, 5S, Problem Solving Process, and Value Stream Mapping. Focus on delivering measurable business impact.
Financial & Performance Management: Oversee departmental budgeting and resource allocation in alignment with revenue targets. Establish and track KPIs to ensure clarity of direction, performance accountability, and continuous improvement.