R&D Program Manager

The Opportunity

This position works out of our Plymouth, MN location for our Electrophysiology Medical Device business. In Abbott's Electrophysiology (EP) business, we're advancing the treatment of heart disease through breakthrough medical technologies in atrial fibrillation, allowing people to restore their health and get on with their lives.

The R&D Program Manager is responsible for planning, executing, and closing catheter or implantable device projects on time, within budget, and within scope. This role involves coordinating cross-functional teams, managing resources, mitigating risks, and ensuring stakeholders are informed and aligned throughout the project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive product development execution with a cross-functional team to achieve project contract deliverables (product, features, COGS, timeline, capacity, etc.)
• Define project scope, objectives, and deliverables from concept through commercialization in collaboration with stakeholders
• Develop detailed project plans, schedules, and budgets with input from the cross-functional team
• Monitor progress, track milestones, and adjust plans as needed
• Identify, assess, and mitigate program risks, issues, and dependencies while ensuring timely escalation and resolution
• Manage project resources effectively, including personnel and budget
• Balance development speed with feature scope while meeting Abbott's high quality expectations
• Communicate project status, updates, and risks to stakeholders and leadership
• Ensure alignment with organizational goals, quality standards, and best practices
• Facilitate meetings, maintain documentation, and ensure project governance
• Drive continuous improvement through lessons learned and process optimization

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering/Mechanical Engineering or a related field
• 10+ years of leadership experience in a medical device, biomedical or high technology industry
• Minimum 4+ years of project management experience
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong organizational, leadership, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience with budgeting and financial tracking
• Experience with project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, MS Excel, MS Powerpoint)
• Familiarity with project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, or hybrid)

Preferred Qualifications

• Project Management Professional (PMP), and/or advanced degree(s) in Engineering, Sciences, Business Administration or related discipline
• Experience in Medical Device industry, with project management experience
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills

Key Competencies

• Leadership and team collaboration
• Strategic thinking and decision-making
• Time management and prioritization
• Risk management
• Communication
• Attention to detail
• Adaptability and resilience
• Self-Starter

Success Metrics

• On-time and on-budget project delivery
• Stakeholder satisfaction
• Quality of deliverables
• Effective risk mitigation
• Team performance and engagement