Product Support Designer - Arbutus Medical

BLANKSLATE Partners • Burnaby, BC

34d • CA$95,000 - CA$110,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Arbutus Medical is a rapidly growing medical device venture developing a portfolio of procedure kits to streamline surgery “outside the OR”, starting with orthopaedic trauma procedures in the ER. We are a fast growing team seeking a Product Support Designer who will be the driving force behind the continuous improvement of our existing product portfolio. Sitting at the intersection of customers, Product Development, Marketing, and Operations, you will transform real-world feedback into meaningful product improvements that strengthen surgeon preference and maximize product-market fit. This is a highly collaborative, hands-on role for someone who enjoys solving problems, managing multiple product improvement initiatives, and building strong relationships with healthcare providers. You'll investigate product feedback, develop and evaluate prototypes, coordinate testing, and partner closely with our Product Development team to bring improvements through implementation and manufacturing. Success in this role comes from being equally comfortable speaking with surgeons in a trauma centre, observing procedures, evaluating technical solutions, coordinating prototype development, and communicating progress across internal teams. You'll manage a portfolio of continuous improvement projects, ensuring customer feedback is translated into practical product enhancements that deliver real value. If you're naturally curious, thrive on momentum, and believe there is always a better solution, this role offers the opportunity to make an immediate impact on products that are used every day to improve patient care.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Product Design, or a related technical discipline.
• 5–7 years of experience in product development, sustaining engineering, product support, R&D, medical devices, or a related technical product role.
• Demonstrated experience translating customer feedback into successful product improvements.
• Experience managing multiple technical projects simultaneously from concept through implementation.
• Hands-on experience with prototyping methods such as 3D printing, machining, CAD (SolidWorks strongly preferred), or other rapid development tools.
• Experience creating detailed how-to guides and illustrations (Adobe Illustrator experience is an asset)
• Experience designing, executing, and documenting product testing and validation activities.
• Strong technical problem-solving skills with the ability to balance customer needs, technical feasibility, and business priorities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with confidence engaging both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.
• Willingness to travel throughout North America approximately one trip per month, with increased travel during the summer resident training season.

Nice To Haves

• Experience within the medical device, surgical, orthopaedic, or healthcare industry.
• Experience working in regulated environments (e.g. ISO 13485, FDA, Health Canada).
• Experience observing clinical procedures or working directly with healthcare professionals.
• Familiarity with design controls, risk management, and product change processes.
• Experience supporting product launches, sustaining engineering, or continuous improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes such as injection molding, machining, or medical device assembly.
• Experience developing technical training materials, product demonstrations, or customer education content.
• You are relentlessly curious and genuinely enjoy understanding how customers use products in the real world.
• You thrive on solving practical problems and turning ideas into tangible improvements.
• You naturally build credibility and trust with customers and colleagues alike.
• You enjoy balancing technical work with relationship building.
• You are highly organized and comfortable managing multiple projects at different stages simultaneously.
• You bring energy, urgency, and follow-through to every initiative, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
• You believe that even great products can always be made better.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with surgeons, residents, nurses, and healthcare providers to understand how our products are used in real clinical environments.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for customer product feedback, ensuring issues are acknowledged, investigated, and followed through to resolution.
• Visit hospitals, cadaver labs, conferences, and customer sites to observe procedures and identify opportunities to improve product performance and workflow.
• Maintain regular communication with customers on active product improvement initiatives, demonstrating progress and reinforcing our commitment to continuous improvement.
• Support resident training programs and educational labs, particularly during the annual summer resident turnover period.
• Partner with the commercial team during customer visits and regional meetings to gather insights, strengthen relationships, and support product adoption.
• Evaluate prototypes and product enhancements in the field, gathering structured customer feedback before broader implementation.
• Own a portfolio of product improvement initiatives across our existing product line.
• Investigate customer feedback, complaints, and enhancement opportunities to identify practical product improvements.
• Translate customer needs into clear technical requirements and actionable development projects.
• Lead multiple product improvement projects simultaneously, balancing priorities while maintaining momentum.
• Identify opportunities to improve product usability, simplify workflows, increase product utilization, and reduce cost of goods (COGS).
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives from concept through implementation, collaborating with Product Development to bring validated solutions into production.
• Develop prototypes using internal resources, 3D printing, machining partners, or other rapid prototyping methods.
• Design and execute product testing to evaluate new concepts and product improvements.
• Develop test protocols, fixtures, and evaluation methods to validate product performance.
• Analyze results, document findings, and present recommendations to internal stakeholders.
• Support investigation of product complaints by identifying root causes and recommending technical solutions.
• Collaborate with Product Development to transition validated concepts into manufacturable product changes.
• Partner closely with Product Development, Marketing, Operations, Manufacturing, and Sales throughout the product improvement process.
• Support Key Opinion Leader (KOL) initiatives by providing technical expertise and coordinating product evaluations.
• Collaborate with Marketing to develop educational materials, product messaging, demonstrations, and technical content highlighting product improvements.
• Build and maintain anatomically realistic product demonstrations and tradeshow displays.
• Support technical initiatives such as product recycling programs, inspection processes, and other operational improvement projects.
• Maintain visibility into active projects through dashboards, reporting, and regular communication with internal stakeholders.

Benefits

• Competitive salary (budgeted base salary of $95K-110K)
• An exciting opportunity to get in at the ground floor of a growing venture
• Flexible working hours and hybrid work arrangements
• Extended health benefits
• Professional development funding
• A purpose-driven workplace with passionate teammates who want to help patients and make a positive difference in the world

What This Job Offers

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