Senior Product Development Program Manager

MiniMed•Northridge, CA

About The Position

The Senior Product Development Program Manager will lead strategic cost reduction and value engineering initiatives for the next generation product platform. This role will partner closely with R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Sourcing, Quality, Regulatory, and Finance teams to identify, prioritize, and execute product cost improvements while maintaining product performance, quality, reliability, and regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate combines strong program management capabilities with hands-on experience in value engineering, cost modeling, and cross-functional product development. This individual will work directly with R&D teams to influence product architecture, design decisions, manufacturing strategies, and implementation plans that support achievement of long-term product cost targets.

Requirements

Requires a Bachelor's degree and minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, or advanced degree with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience.
Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or related technical discipline.
Relevant experience in product development, engineering, operations, manufacturing, or program management.
Experience leading complex cross-functional programs in a regulated environment.
Demonstrated experience leading Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE) initiatives, product cost optimization programs, and cross-functional engineering teams to achieve product cost reduction targets.
Strong understanding of product cost structures, cost modeling, and business case development.
Proven ability to influence stakeholders and drive execution without direct authority.
Excellent communication, leadership, problem-solving, and project management skills.
Medical device or other regulated industry experience.
Experience partnering directly with R&D organizations on product architecture decisions, design changes, material substitutions, and platform optimization initiatives.
Experience developing should-cost models, financial analyses, and investment business cases.
Working knowledge of Design-to-Value (DtV), Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE), Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Lean Product Development methodologies.
Experience supporting sustaining engineering and product lifecycle management programs.
Experience working with suppliers and strategic sourcing teams to identify and implement cost reduction opportunities.
Advanced degree (MS) preferred.
PMP certification or equivalent program management experience.

Responsibilities

Lead cross-functional cost reduction programs supporting next generation product platforms.
Develop and maintain integrated project plans, schedules, milestones, dependencies, and implementation roadmaps.
Coordinate activities across R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Regulatory, Finance, and Sourcing.
Facilitate governance reviews and communicate program status, risks, mitigation plans, and key decisions to leadership.
Drive alignment on project priorities, resource requirements, and implementation strategies.
Lead Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE) activities to identify and implement sustainable product cost reduction opportunities and provide report outs on progess.
Partner directly with R&D teams throughout concept, design, and sustaining engineering phases to optimize product cost and manufacturability.
Facilitate structured value engineering workshops and design reviews to challenge cost assumptions and identify breakthrough opportunities.
Evaluate alternative materials, components, suppliers, manufacturing processes, and product architectures.
Drive Design-for-Cost (DFC), Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM), and Design-for-Assembly (DFA) initiatives across the product lifecycle.
Develop should-cost models, cost analyses, and investment business cases to support prioritization and decision-making.
Establish cost reduction roadmaps aligned with annual operating plans and long-term business objectives.
Build strong partnerships across R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, and Finance organizations.
Coordinate technical, operational, and commercial activities to implement cost reduction initiatives.
Lead resolution of program risks, technical trade-offs, and implementation challenges.
Align stakeholders around project objectives, timelines, and expected business outcomes.
Quantify product cost reduction opportunities and track savings realization.
Partner with Finance and Supply Chain teams to validate business cases and financial impact.
Develop and maintain metrics, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms to monitor progress against cost reduction targets.
Support capital investment evaluations and return-on-investment analyses.
Coordinate implementation of design, supplier, manufacturing, and process changes supporting cost reduction objectives.
Ensure appropriate design controls, validation activities, and regulatory requirements are incorporated into project plans.
Support commercialization and operational readiness activities associated with approved product changes.
Monitor implementation effectiveness and sustain realized savings following launch.
Deliver product cost reduction targets.
Develop and maintain a multi-year cost optimization roadmap.
Lead implementation of Value Analysis / Value Engineering initiatives from concept through commercialization.
Influence product design decisions that improve cost, manufacturability, quality, and supply chain performance.
Ensure delivery of project milestones on schedule and within approved budgets.
Identify and proactively manage risks, dependencies, and implementation challenges.
Maintain cross-functional alignment and accountability across all participating functions.
Balance cost optimization objectives with product quality, reliability, and regulatory compliance requirements.
Support strategic product cost reduction initiatives in partnership with R&D and Operations leadership.
Establish program priorities and implementation road maps aligned with business goals.
Develop business cases supporting investment and cost reduction decisions.
Drive cross-functional risk identification and mitigation planning.
Facilitate effective communication between leadership teams, project teams, and functional stakeholders.
Support long-range product margin improvement strategies and operational excellence initiatives.
Achieve annual and multi-year cost reduction targets.
Deliver measurable and sustained financial savings from implemented initiatives.
Meet key project milestones and implementation commitments.
Increase adoption of DFM, DFA, DFC, and VA/VE methodologies across product development activities.
Deliver approved changes without disruption to product supply or quality.
Maintain stakeholder engagement and execution discipline across all project teams.
Improve product competitiveness through cost, quality, and manufacturability enhancements.