Associate Manager, R&D
Location: Leesburg, VA or Allendale, NJ (Hybrid - 3 days onsite | Up to 20% Travel)
Company: VB Spine
Looking for a career where your work truly matters? At VB Spine, you'll be part of a mission-focused team that supports surgeons during life-changing spinal procedures. We're the largest privately held spine company and among the largest family-owned medical technology companies in the world, dedicated to innovation, surgeon partnerships, and improving patient outcomes in spine care. As an Associate Manager, R&D in our R&D function within the Spine division, you'll lead engineers, designers, and project managers while managing complex multi-functional teams focused on sustaining commercially available products - including product design evolution, regulatory documentation updates, and supply chain continuity.
What You'll Do:
- Coach, develop, and manage direct reports to meet performance objectives and support their professional growth
- Manage resource planning and allocation of personnel and equipment for the product development and sustaining portfolio
- Interface with surgeons and sales representatives to gather clinical input for product design and evaluation
- Utilize advanced knowledge of surgical procedures to drive innovative solutions that meet customer needs
- Lead or actively participate on cross-functional design teams and manage large sustaining projects
- Collaborate closely with R&D, Quality, Manufacturing, Regulatory, Clinical, Marketing, and Project Management to ensure project success
- Participate in and lead design reviews and product investigations
- Develop and manage metrics and reporting for senior leadership
- Approve verification and validation activities for product designs
- Support regulatory submissions including 510(k), PMA, and CE Mark
- Lead creation and refinement of engineering documentation such as Design History Files and Change Control records
- Mentor others on industry standards, design requirements, test strategies, design controls, risk management, and NC/CAPA processes
- Identify and implement improvements to reduce cost, increase efficiency, and strengthen organizational capabilities
- Develop and manage expense budgets and team spending
- Write annual performance reviews for direct reports
- Establish and maintain strong working relationships across Spine R&D, other VB sites, and external partners
What You Bring:
- Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or related discipline (Master's preferred or equivalent relevant experience)
- 6+ years of relevant work experience (medical device industry preferred); previous supervisory experience is a plus
- Demonstrated success in product development, bringing concepts to market, and/or managing R&D sustaining activities, product transfers, NC/CAPA, or remediation
- Experience managing multiple technology projects from inception to launch
- Strong knowledge of orthopedic products (Spine preferred), including clinical issues and performance requirements
- Experience working within international regulatory requirements (FDA, EU, ROW) in the medical device industry
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including strong technical writing ability
- Ability to interface effectively with physicians, engineers, and operational personnel
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and work with remote teams
- Applied knowledge of parametric CAD packages (Creo or SolidWorks preferred) is a plus
Why VB Spine?
We believe in growing talent from within. At VB Spine, step into a people-leadership role where you'll develop engineers, drive sustaining excellence, and help ensure the continued success of innovative spinal products that improve patient lives.
Compensation:
Pay for this role is competitive and based on experience, qualifications, and performance. The typical pay range for this position is $125,000.00 - $135,000.00 annually, with potential for bonuses and incentives plus benefits. Final compensation is determined on a case-by-case basis and considers a variety of factors including experience level, leadership experience, and market conditions.
Benefits include:
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off (PTO) and holidays
- Ongoing training and professional development opportunities
- Opportunity to grow within a fast-paced, dynamic company