R&D Process Innovation Lead

Cochlear; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite parking

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Cochlear is seeking a senior Process Innovation Lead to transform how product development happens across the organisation. You will own the evolution of our Product Innovation Process and product documentation practices, driving smarter digital solutions, automation and AI while maintaining quality and compliance in a highly regulated environment.

You will challenge current approaches, design the future state, and lead a high-performing team across R&D, Quality and Regulatory Affairs to deliver

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in regulated product development or related disciplines.
• Strong experience designing and improving end-to-end product development processes.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive transformation in a complex matrix organisation.

Responsibilities

• Design and continuously improve Cochlear’s end-to-end Product Innovation Process.
• Simplify processes to reduce development cycle times while ensuring quality and compliance.
• Establish governance with stage gates, KPIs and decision rights.
• Lead digital platforms, workflows, automation and AI Roadmap for better product development.
• Transform product documentation to support regulatory submissions.

Skills

Process innovation

Regulatory environment

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Digital platforms

AI & automation

Governance

Tools

Workflow automation

Data analytics

Job description

Please submit your application as soon as possible, as we reserve the right to close this advertisement at any time.

Cochlear’s mission is to help people hear and be heard. As the global leader in implantable hearing solutions, Cochlear is dedicated to helping people with moderate to profound hearing loss experience a world full of sound. We aim to transform the way people understand and treat hearing loss and innovate to connect people with future technologies. Our employees tell us that the number one reason they enjoy working for Cochlear is the opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives. Learn and grow with us as we tackle the most complex challenges in helping more people to experience a lifetime of hearing.

• New Role
• Onsite car Park/ Close to Public transportation
• Hybrid Working Arrangement

We’re looking for a Process Innovation Lead to transform how product development happens across Cochlear.

This is a senior, influential role with ownership of the evolution of our Product Innovation Process (PIP) and product documentation practices. You’ll simplify complex processes, strengthen governance and introduce smarter digital solutions, automation and AI to help our teams develop products more efficiently while maintaining the quality and compliance expected in a highly regulated environment.

This isn’t a role focused on maintaining existing processes. You’ll challenge how things are done today and help design how they should work tomorrow.

What you’ll do

• Shape the future of product development by designing and continuously improving Cochlear’s end-to-end Product Innovation Process.
• Simplify the way we work, removing unnecessary complexity and helping reduce development cycle times while maintaining quality and compliance.
• Establish effective governance, including stage gates, decision rights, KPIs and performance measures.
• Use data to drive improvement, identifying bottlenecks, risks and opportunities across the product lifecycle.
• Lead digital innovation, defining the roadmap for platforms, workflows, automation and AI that enable better product development.
• Transform product documentation, improving how information is created, managed, traced and used to support regulatory submissions.
• Influence across the enterprise, partnering with senior leaders across R&D, Quality, Regulatory Affairs and Technology to embed new ways of working.
• Lead and develop a high-performing team while remaining close enough to the work to personal

About you

You’ll bring:

• 10+ years’ experience across product development, product lifecycle management, quality systems, process excellence or related disciplines within a regulated environment.

• Strong experience designing and improving end-to-end product development processes or lifecycle frameworks.

• Experience leading significant process, operating model or business transformation.

• Strong understanding of stage-gate product development, process architecture, governance and continuous improvement.

• Experience delivering digital platforms, workflows, automation or AI-enabled solutions that have created measurable business value.

• The ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive change across a complex, global matrix organisation.

• Strong understanding of quality systems, design controls, risk management and regulatory requirements.

• Demonstrated people leadership and the ability to build capability within a team.

Experience within medical devices, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology or another highly regulated industry will be highly regarded.

Why this role?

This is an opportunity to influence something fundamental: how Cochlear turns ideas into products.

You’ll work across process, people, technology and governance, with the scope to rethink established ways of working and introduce capabilities that make product development simpler, faster, more scalable and easier to comply with.

If you enjoy tackling enterprise-level complexity, influencing senior stakeholders and turning transformation ideas into practical improvements that stick, we’d like to hear from you.

How we recognise your contribution

At Cochlear we value and welcome the unique contributions, perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds of our employees and aim to build a culture that celebrates and leverages these differences, creating a sense of belonging and enabling our people to realise their full potential. Through our internal programs and employee benefits, we aim to create an environment where our people will feel value and supported. Whether your focus is on continuous learning, professional development or simply finding an environment which enables you to thrive whilst balancing family or personal life commitments, then we have several programs in place to support you.

For more information about Life at Cochlear, visit www.cochlearcareers.com