Associate Director, Exploratory R&D - Endoscopy

Lead our early phase efforts from opportunity identification to early feasibility. Balance quick-turn opportunities with high-potential platform or breakthrough innovations. Implement processes, metrics & best practices across regions. Interface with internal and external stakeholders. Partner with franchise strategy, upstream marketing, and BD teams to assess white space and adjacent innovation areas. Partner with physicians and innovation hubs to further our early phase initiatives. Lead and develop a team of dedicated and part-time exploratory R&D talent. Coach, mentor, and structure teams for agility, high performance, and adaptability to fast-changing priorities. Optimize exploratory resource allocation across businesses, balancing skills, capacity, and business need. Responsible for performance management, succession planning and the development and implementation of retention strategies. Be a visible and vocal innovation champion. Foster a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and smart risk-taking. Eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy while ensuring strategic alignment and cross-functional input. Influence internal networks and leadership to accelerate innovation momentum from concept to TDP readiness. Drive needs-based innovation by advocating for customer empathy, design thinking, and iterative sprints. Expand physician touchpoints and deepen clinical understanding across teams. Manages exploratory partnerships, biodesign programs, and contracts from an R&D perspective. Identifies future technology and intellectual property critical to future business growth. Ensures sharing of initiatives/ideas and accomplishments across the divisions. BS in Engineering or a related technical field (advanced degree preferred). 10+ years of technical professional experience, including 5+ years in people management and project leadership experience Experience in life sciences (Medtech highly preferred). Proven track record of leading early phase innovation initiatives from idea to feasibility, with successful subsequent launches. Strong technical, strategic, and clinical acumen. Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills. Experience with BioDesign, user needs finding, and early-stage concept development. Previous exposure to upstream opportunity assessment and external partnerships. A strategic, action-oriented mindset with a deep passion for solving clinical problems. An inclusive leadership style that cultivates team growth and cross-functional alignment. High emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and a bias toward collaboration and accountability. Ability to influence without authority and drive complex initiatives across a global matrix organization. A passion for leading and developing teams and employees into high performers, while motivating teams for optimal success Action oriented strategic thinker, with a natural ability to collaborate with a wide array of stakeholders. Communicates impactfully and concisely at a senior management level and across business units. Engages and influences cross-functional colleagues, even without direct reporting relationships. Seeks to reduce and eliminate bureaucracy while cultivating open and candid communication across the division and team.