Senior R&D Program Manager
$137,000–$235,750 year
On-site · Boston, Massachusetts, United States or Gières, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Job Summary
Lead the Navigation software platform program, integrating strategy, priorities, software roadmap, and execution across multiple projects and workstreams. Own platform-level governance, including prioritization, sequencing, escalation pathways, and decision forums that span the Navigation software portfolio. Establish and drive the platform operating cadence, including PI planning, release planning, quarterly reviews, executive program reviews, and cross-functional governance routines. Own integrated program plans, milestones, release objectives, critical path, and interdependencies across projects to ensure execution remains aligned to strategic objectives and delivery commitments. Partner with Project Managers and technical leads to ensure project-level plans, RAID items, and change impacts are integrated into a platform-level view for leadership decision-making. Resolve cross-project resource, timeline, architecture, and scope conflicts that cannot be solved within a single project or team. Develop platform-level recommendations on investment tradeoffs, resource allocation, release sequencing, and roadmap adjustments to support leadership decisions. Lead financial planning and performance reviews for the platform in partnership with PMO Operations, including forecasts, funding needs, and execution transparency. Oversee external software partners and contractor execution at the platform level, ensuring scope clarity, performance management, and alignment to business and technical objectives. Ensure platform readiness for design reviews, phase-gates, software release decisions, and major investment decisions through clear evidence, cross-functional alignment, and proactive risk management. Drive software release readiness, defect triage, stabilization, and dependency resolution across teams, including assessment of downstream impact on requirements, traceability, V&V evidence, cybersecurity, and regulatory deliverables. Provide concise executive communications, dashboards, and scenario-based recommendations that synthesize project-level inputs into a clear platform-level view.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Life Sciences, or related field
- 10+ years of increasing responsibility in program or project leadership within regulated product development environments
- Demonstrated experience leading multi-project programs, portfolios, or platform-level delivery models across complex cross-functional organizations
- Experience with Class II or III medical devices, navigation, robotics, or software-enabled systems preferred
- Experience leading complex programs through phase-gate execution, software release governance, design controls, and cross-functional decision processes
- Strong technical background in medical device software development and/or surgical navigation systems
- Strong command of regulated medical device development, including phase-gate execution, software lifecycle controls, design controls, and quality system requirements such as FDA 21 CFR 820.30 and ISO 13485
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional programs and influence senior stakeholders across technical, functional, and business domains
- Strong strategic and operational judgment, with the ability to frame tradeoffs, recommend priorities, and guide decisions under uncertainty
- Ability to integrate multiple project plans, risks, dependencies, and release commitments into a platform-level view that supports governance and executive decision-making
- Proficiency in Agile/SAFe, Lean or hybrid delivery models; ability to translate technical scope into PI/iteration plans
- Proficiency with program and engineering execution tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Planisware/Cadence PPM, Jira/Azure DevOps)
- Ability to establish operating mechanisms, governance routines, and escalation pathways that improve delivery predictability and accountability across multiple software projects
- Strong financial and program controls acumen, including forecasting, scenario planning, budget management, and performance reporting
- Excellent executive communication skills, with the ability to translate technical and operational complexity into clear decision-ready narratives
- Experience working with external development partners and assessing the downstream impact of changes on software requirements, architecture, traceability, verification, cybersecurity, and regulatory deliverables
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