Director, R&D and New Product Development

Lubrizol Corporation•Brecksville, OH

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Global Leader, New Product Development – Medical Devices is a senior technical and people leader responsible for medical device new product development, from concept through commercialization. This role owns NPD strategy, talent development, governance, and execution across multiple geographies and development centers, ensuring strong alignment with customer needs, regulatory requirements, and business strategy. The role leads a global, multidisciplinary NPD organization, partners closely with Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Commercial, and Executive Leadership, and acts as a senior technical representative to key medical device OEM customers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Biomedical, Chemical Engineering, or related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred.
10 or more years of progressive experience in medical device product development in a regulated environment., including experience in thermoplastic precision extrusion and silicone processing.
Demonstrated experience leading global or multi-site technical teams.
Strong working knowledge of FDA design controls, ISO 13485, FDA 21 CFR Part 820, and CE/MDR requirements.
Proven track record delivering complex development programs from concept through commercialization and manufacturing transfer.

Nice To Haves

Advanced technical degree (MS or PhD).
Experience with catheter-based or minimally invasive medical device technologies.
Strong understanding of polymer-based medical devices and associated manufacturing processes.
Formal training or certification in program or portfolio management.
Experience operating effectively within matrixed global organizations.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the global medical device NPD strategy aligned with business growth priorities, customer roadmaps, and portfolio strategy.
Identify and pursue adjacent medical device applications where our technologies and platforms can create differentiated value and drive organic growth.
Lead capability road mapping to define and build the new technical, testing, and development capabilities the group must invest in to sustain growth and capture high value programs.
Establish scalable development governance, stage-gate rigor, and portfolio prioritization to ensure consistent execution excellence.
Oversee complex, multi-site development programs from concept through commercialization, ensuring delivery to cost, schedule, performance, and quality expectations.
Partner with Quality and Regulatory to ensure compliance with FDA, CE/MDR, ISO 13485, and applicable global regulatory requirements.
Serve as senior technical interface with strategic OEM customers, supporting complex development engagements and long-term partnerships.
Collaborate with Commercial, Marketing, and Business Development to shape development proposals, technology roadmaps, and differentiated customer solutions.
Champion design-for-manufacturability, design-for-quality, and design-for-cost principles across global manufacturing platforms.
Ensure effective transfer of products from NPD to Manufacturing, preserving design intent, robustness, and scalability during launch and ramp-up.
Lead and develop a global organization of NPD engineers, scientists, and program leaders across multiple regions and sites.
Build technical bench strength through hiring, development, coaching, and succession planning.