Director Product Development

Abbott Laboratories; Plymouth (MN); On-site; USD 149,000 - 299,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott seeks a dynamic product development leader to define and drive the EP Ablation catheter portfolio strategy, integrating physician needs, clinical evidence, and regulatory requirements to deliver innovative, market-leading devices.

You will lead cross-functional teams through concept to commercialization, ensure milestones and budget commitments, and partner with clinical, regulatory, and marketing groups to accelerate adoption and growth worldwide.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical discipline; Mechanical, Biomedical, Electrical, Systems Engineering or similar preferred.
• Master’s degree and/or MBA preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in medical device product development, engineering, or technology management.
• 7+ years of people leadership experience, including management of managers and cross-functional development teams.
• Demonstrated success leading complex medical device programs through design, development, regulatory approval, and commercialization.
• Strong understanding of FDA, EU MDR, design controls, risk management, and quality system requirements.
• Experience in electrophysiology, cardiovascular medical devices, catheter-based therapies, or adjacent interventional technologies preferred.
• Proven ability to manage multiple development programs, prioritize investments, and deliver business results.
• Excellent strategic, analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to influence across all organizational levels, including executive leadership.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the product development strategy and technology roadmap for the EP Ablation Catheter portfolio, ensuring alignment with divisional objectives, market needs, and long-term growth opportunities.
• Lead the development of next-generation catheter technologies and procedural solutions, including RF ablation, pulsed field ablation (PFA), advanced mapping, and system integration.
• Translate physician, clinical, and customer insights into product requirements, technical specifications, and differentiated product concepts.
• Evaluate and prioritize new technologies, IP opportunities, strategic partnerships, and platform investments.
• Lead cross-functional product development activities from concept generation through commercialization, ensuring delivery of products that meet performance, quality, regulatory, and business objectives.
• Collaborate with Clinical Affairs, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, and Quality leadership to define clinical evidence strategies supporting regulatory approvals, physician adoption, and reimbursement objectives.
• Partner with Commercial and Marketing teams to support launch planning, market development activities, physician engagement strategies, and portfolio growth initiatives.
• Ensure development programs achieve key milestones, budget objectives, schedule commitments, and quality expectations.
• Build and lead a high-performing Product Development organization while fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and customer focus.

Skills

Product development leadership

EP ablation technology

Systems engineering

Design controls

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional leadership

Talent development

Commercial acumen

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree / MBA preferred

Job description

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, and branded generic medicines.

This role is responsible for defining and driving product development, technology roadmap, and innovation agenda for Abbott's Electrophysiology (EP) Ablation portfolio, including next-generation catheter-based solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. This leader will shape the future of EP therapies by integrating physician needs, market opportunities, clinical evidence, regulatory requirements, and emerging technologies into differentiated products that improve procedural outcomes, expand patient access, and accelerate business growth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define and drive the product development strategy and technology roadmap for the EP Ablation Catheter portfolio, ensuring alignment with divisional objectives, market needs, and long-term growth opportunities.
• Lead the development of next-generation catheter technologies and procedural solutions, including RF ablation, pulsed field ablation (PFA), advanced mapping, and system integration.
• Translate physician, clinical, and customer insights into product requirements, technical specifications, and differentiated product concepts that address unmet needs in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias.
• Evaluate and prioritize new technologies, intellectual property opportunities, strategic partnerships, and platform investments that drive sustainable competitive advantage.
• Lead cross-functional product development activities from concept generation through commercialization, ensuring delivery of products that meet performance, quality, regulatory, and business objectives.
• Collaborate with Clinical Affairs, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, and Quality leadership to define clinical evidence strategies supporting regulatory approvals, physician adoption, and reimbursement objectives.
• Partner with Commercial and Marketing teams to support launch planning, market development activities, physician engagement strategies, and portfolio growth initiatives.
• Ensure development programs achieve key milestones, budget objectives, schedule commitments, and quality expectations.
• Build and lead a high-performing Product Development organization while fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, collaboration, technical excellence, and customer focus.

CRITICAL EXPERIENCES FOR THIS ROLE

• Demonstrated success leading complex medical device product development programs in a regulated environment.
• Proven experience developing and commercializing catheter-based cardiovascular, electrophysiology, structural heart, heart failure, vascular, or related medical technologies.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering organizations responsible for delivering products from concept through launch.
• Strong understanding of electrophysiology procedures, cardiac ablation therapies, physician workflows, and evolving treatment paradigms.
• Experience defining product requirements and technology strategies based on customer insights, clinical evidence, and market dynamics.
• Demonstrated success managing large-scale development programs involving systems engineering, hardware, software, disposables, and capital equipment integration.
• Proven ability to influence executive leadership and drive strategic investment decisions.
• Experience leading cross-functional organizations within highly matrixed global healthcare businesses.
• Strong financial, portfolio management, and business planning capabilities.
• Track record of building high-performing teams and developing future leaders.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Product development leadership
• EP and ablation technology expertise
• Systems engineering and complex device development
• Innovation and technology strategy
• Product roadmap development
• Program and portfolio management
• Customer-centric design
• Design controls and regulatory compliance
• Design for manufacturability
• Risk management
• Strategic decision-making
• Executive communication
• Cross-functional leadership
• Talent development
• Commercial and business acumen

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline required; Mechanical, Biomedical, Electrical, Systems Engineering, or similar preferred.
• Master's degree and/or MBA preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in medical device product development, engineering, or technology management.
• 7+ years of people leadership experience, including management of managers and cross-functional development teams.
• Demonstrated success leading complex medical device programs through design, development, regulatory approval, and commercialization.
• Strong understanding of FDA, EU MDR, design controls, risk management, and quality system requirements.
• Experience in electrophysiology, cardiac rhythm management, cardiovascular medical devices, catheter-based therapies, or adjacent interventional technologies strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to manage multiple development programs, prioritize competing investments, and deliver business results.
• Excellent strategic, analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to influence across all organizational levels, including executive leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in catheter-based medical devices with strong business acumen and a passion for innovation. This leader has successfully brought complex electrophysiology or cardiovascular technologies to market, understands the rapidly evolving PFA and ablation landscape, and excels at leading teams that transform physician needs into breakthrough products that improve patient care globally.

The base pay for this position is $149,300.00 – $298,700.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.