Senior Innovation Project Manager – Regenerative Biomaterials

Consult; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Consult in Michigan is seeking a Senior R&D Project Manager – Front-End Innovation to lead early-stage, high-impact medical device projects. You will identify unmet needs, evaluate technologies, and develop business cases, working across R&D, Clinical, Regulatory, and Commercial teams.

Ideal candidates have PhD-level training in a relevant field and proven front-end innovation leadership for complex medical devices, including VOC integration and IP considerations.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Biomedical Engineering or related field; PhD preferred.
• Strong medical device R&D experience with complex products.
• Front-End Innovation experience from unmet needs to concept decisions.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams across R&D, Clinical, Regulatory, Commercial and IP.
• Experience with VOC, market evaluation and early business cases.

Responsibilities

• Identify unmet clinical, customer and market needs and translate them into opportunities.
• Lead early-stage innovation projects from ideation through feasibility and concept.
• Assess emerging technologies, feasibility, and technology readiness; identify risks.
• Develop early business cases covering technical, regulatory, competitive and commercial aspects.
• Collaborate with clinicians, KOLs and commercial teams to inform strategy.
• Evaluate internal and external technologies; support make/buy/partner decisions.
• Define and coordinate early experimental and proof-of-concept programmes with internal and external teams.
• Assess IP landscapes and Freedom-to-Operate; support new patent opportunities.
• Lead cross-functional teams; manage scope, milestones, budgets and risks.
• Present recommendations to senior leadership and drive de-risking before NPD handover.

Skills

Front-End Innovation

R&D project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Voice of Customer

Strategic assessment

Education

PhD preferred

Biomedical Engineering or related field

Job description

Innovation R&D Experience in the Medical Devices Field?

A strong exposure to Biomaterials, Regeneratives or Biomimetic scientific applications?

We are currently actively searching for a Senior R&D Project Manager – (Front-End) Innovation for a high-growth medical device organisation, joining an expanding R&D operation in Michigan.

This can be particularly exciting if you want to operate at the very beginning of the innovation lifecycle.

Your focus will be highly front-end focused: identifying unmet clinical and customer needs, evaluating emerging technologies, determining whether opportunities are scientifically, commercially and strategically viable, and driving the strongest concepts towards proof-of-concept and formal product development.

The organisation is developing a highly differentiated technology platform within biomaterials and regenerative medicine, with applications connected to bone regeneration and the body's natural regenerative processes.

Alongside an established commercial portfolio, there is significant ambition to expand the underlying technology into new products and applications.

The role

You will take ownership of projects during the Front-End Innovation phase, where opportunities are still ambiguous and fundamental questions remain around the unmet need, technology, market, IP position, regulatory pathway and commercial potential.

Working at the intersection of R&D, science, clinical needs and commercial strategy, you will help determine what the organisation should develop next and why.

You will:

• Identify unmet clinical, customer and market needs and translate them into new product and innovation opportunities
• Lead early-stage innovation projects from ideation through feasibility, concept development and proof-of-concept
• Assess emerging technologies, technical feasibility and technology readiness, identifying key risks and development requirements
• Develop early business cases combining technical, clinical, regulatory, competitive and commercial considerations to support go/no-go decisions
• Work closely with clinicians, KOLs and commercial teams to incorporate Voice of Customer into innovation strategy
• Evaluate internal and external technologies and support make / buy / partner / license / acquire decisions, including technology scouting and due diligence
• Define and coordinate early experimental and proof-of-concept programmes with internal R&D teams and external research partners
• Assess IP, patent landscapes and Freedom-to-Operate, working with Legal/IP teams and supporting new patent opportunities
• Lead cross-functional teams across R&D, Clinical, Regulatory, Commercial, Business Development and Legal/IP, managing scope, milestones, resources, budgets and risks
• Present recommendations to senior leadership and drive successful concepts through validation and de-risking before handover into formal New Product Development

Your profile

We are looking for someone combining strong scientific expertise, R&D project leadership and Front-End Innovation experience.

Ideally, you will bring:

• An advanced degree in Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Bioengineering, Biotechnology or a related discipline; PhD preferred
• Strong medical device R&D experience, ideally involving scientifically complex products
• Relevant expertise in biomaterials, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, bone regeneration, orthobiologics, bioresorbables, peptides/proteins, hydrogels or related technologies
• Genuine Front-End Innovation experience, taking unmet needs or early ideas through feasibility, proof-of-concept and investment decisions
• Strong R&D project/programme management, leading multidisciplinary technical teams
• Experience assessing technical and commercial feasibility, including market/VOC, competitive landscape and early business cases
• Exposure to technology scouting, external partnerships, licensing, M&A or make/buy/partner decisions
• Understanding of IP/FTO, regulatory and clinical considerations within medical-device innovation

This is not a conventional downstream NPD Project Manager role.

We are looking for someone who can help determine what should be developed, why it is worth pursuing and how to de-risk it before formal development begins.

This roles offers significant influence over the future innovation pipeline, joining a growing operation developing a differentiated regenerative technology platform.

Location

• Michigan (Ann Arbor) | Hybrid – approximately 3 days onsite per week.

*Candidates located elsewhere (US only) are welcome to apply, but must be willing to relocate to Michigan. This position does not offer a full remote flexibility.

*Salary range is indicative and will be commensurate with experience.