Sr Director Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE)

Medtronic; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 223,000 - 335,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental & Vision Insurance

401(k) with employer match

Tuition assistance/reimbursement

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Medtronic seeks a Senior Director for Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE) to lead enterprise initiatives that reduce cost, improve gross margin, and enhance customer value while upholding safety and quality. The role directs a 40+ person team and requires influencing across functions with a focus on Design-for-Value throughout the lifecycle.

The ideal candidate blends deep engineering expertise with strong business acumen, driving transformational change and a culture of continuous

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline as listed.
• 15+ years of progressive engineering/operations/product development leadership.
• 10+ years of people and program leadership experience.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed global org.
• Strong financial acumen linking engineering to business outcomes.
• Nice to have master's degree or MBA.
• Experience in Value Analysis/Value Engineering, DFM/DFx, cost optimization, supplier collaboration.
• Experience influencing senior leadership and leading organizational transformation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an enterprise VAVE strategy aligned with financial and innovation goals.
• Architect and lead a global VAVE organization focused on margin expansion and customer value.
• Partner with BU leadership to prioritize VAVE portfolios delivering measurable impact.
• Drive funding decisions and design improvements across plants and supply base.
• Lead cross-functional execution across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory, Marketing, and Finance.
• Establish Design-for-Value and DFM standards across the product lifecycle.
• Influence new product development to embed cost optimization early.
• Champion methods like functional analysis, supplier collaboration, and manufacturing simplification.
• Govern VAVE opportunities from identification to benefit tracking; build governance.
• Build organizational capability through training and coaching of engineers.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Executive communication

Strategic thinking

Financial acumen

Change management

Influence without authority

Lean Six Sigma

Mentoring / coaching

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Biomedical, Electrical or Manufacturing Engineering, or related field

Master's degree in Engineering/Engineering Management or MBA

Job description

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 20 Sep 2026Careers that change lives start here. Medtronic is a global leader in healthcare technology with a Mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. Our 95,000 employees work across more than 150 countries to put patients first — developing innovative medical technologies that improve the lives of 72+ million patients each year. Your unique talents will help shape the future of healthcare while building a career grounded in purpose, growth, and impact.A Day in the LifeAt Medtronic, we lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity. As the Senior Director of Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE), you will lead enterprise-level initiatives that improve product cost, strengthen gross margin, and enhance customer value while preserving the quality, safety, and performance patients depend on.The VAVE leader will develop and drive a global VAVE strategy across Medtronic's operating units, partnering closely with R&D, Operations, Quality, Supply Management, Marketing, Regulatory, and Finance to identify and execute high-impact value engineering opportunities. The role requires an engineering leader who can lead a high performing team of 40+ people, but also influence without direct authority, build organizational capability, and embed Design-for-Value principles throughout the product lifecycle – from New Product Development to Released Product Management.At Medtronic, we must work with a sense of purpose, and ownership, knowing there is a human life on the other side of every decision.This position is ideal for an experienced engineering senior leader who combines deep technical expertise with exceptional business acumen and a passion for transformational change.At Medtronic, we bring bold ideas forward with speed and decisiveness to put patients first in everything we do. In-person exchanges are invaluable to our work. We’re working 4 days a week onsite as part of our commitment to fostering a culture of professional growth and cross-functional collaboration as we work together to engineer the extraordinary.Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned.Develop and execute an enterprise VAVE strategy aligned with Medtronic's financial and innovation objectives.Architect and lead a high-performing global VAVE organization focused on sustainable margin expansion and increased customer value.Partner with Business Unit leadership to develop and prioritize VAVE portfolios that deliver measurable financial impact in alignment with business and product strategies.Partner with Operations and Business Unit teams to determine funding and execute design improvements in our plants and through the supply base.Drive cross-functional execution across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Marketing, and Finance.Establish Design-for-Value and Design for Manufacturability principles that become standard practice across the product lifecycle.Influence new product development programs to incorporate cost optimization from concept through commercialization.Champion value engineering methodologies including functional analysis, component optimization, supplier collaboration, manufacturing simplification, and technology insertion.Lead enterprise governance for VAVE opportunity identification, prioritization, execution, and benefit tracking.Develop KPIs and dashboards measuring project execution, cost savings, margin improvement, speed of implementation, and organizational capability.Build organizational capability through training, coaching, and development of engineering teams across Medtronic.Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and accountability while maintaining uncompromising standards for quality, patient safety, and regulatory compliance.Serve as a strategic advisor to senior executives on margin expansion opportunities and enterprise engineering excellence.Must Have: Minimum RequirementsBachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related engineering discipline.Minimum of 15 years of progressive engineering, operations, or product development leadership experience or an advanced degree with a minimum of 13 years of progressive engineering, operations, or product development leadership experienceMinimum of 10 years of people and program leadership experience.Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-wide cross-functional initiatives in a highly matrixed global organization.Strong financial acumen with the ability to connect engineering decisions to business outcomes.Nice to HaveMaster's degree in Engineering, Engineering Management, or MBA.Extensive experience leading Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE), Design-for-Value, Product Cost Engineering, or Cost Optimization programs.Experience leading engineering organizations within the medical device, life sciences, aerospace, automotive, or other highly regulated industries.Strong background in New Product Development (NPD), product lifecycle management, and commercialization.Demonstrated success driving significant gross margin improvement through engineering innovation.Experience with Lean Product Development, Six Sigma, Design for Manufacturability (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), Design to Cost (DTC), and supplier collaboration.Strong financial acumen with the ability to connect engineering decisions to business outcomes.Experience influencing executive leadership and leading organizational transformation.Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.For Baccalaureate degrees earned outside of the United States, a degree that satisfies the requirements of 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(h)(4)(iii)(A) is required.Physical Job RequirementsThe above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position, but they are not an exhaustive list of all the required responsibilities and skills of this position.The physical demands described within the Responsibilities section of this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. For Office Roles: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to be independently mobile. The employee is also required to interact with a computer, and communicate with peers and co-workers. Contact your manager or local HR to understand the Work Conditions and Physical requirements that may be specific to each role.U.S. Work Authorization & SponsorshipAt Medtronic, we are committed to fostering an environment where employees can thrive and make a meaningful impact. In alignment with our enterprise-wide workforce planning approach, U.S. work authorization sponsorship (H-1B, TN, J, etc.) is offered exclusively for Principal-level roles and above, where specialized expertise aligns with long-term business needs. Roles below the Principal level require candidates to possess unrestricted U.S. work authorization at the time of hire and for the duration of employment.Recruitment Fraud AlertWe are aware of phishing scams targeting job seekers. Please keep the following in mind:Apply only through official Medtronic channels. All legitimate Medtronic recruiting communications come from approved Medtronic platforms and official @medtronic.com email addresses.Medtronic will never ask for payment or sensitive personal information (such as bank account or Social Security details) during early stages of the hiring process. Any such requests are not legitimate.If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from Medtronic, do not respond, click links, or open attachments.If you have any questions, concerns regarding the authenticity of a communication alleged to have been made by or on behalf of Medtronic, please contact us immediately at [e-mail] .Benefits & CompensationMedtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits PackageA commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values. We recognize their contributions. They share in the success they help to create. We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.Salary ranges for U.S (excl. PR) locations (USD):$223,200.00 - $334,800.00This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP).This position is eligible for an annual long-term incentive plan.The base salary range is applicable across the United States, excluding Puerto Rico. Base pay is based on numerous factors and may vary by job-related knowledge, skills, experience, etc. Compensation and benefits information pertains solely to candidates hired within the United States (local market compensation and benefits will apply for others).The following benefits and additional compensation are available to those regular employees who work 20+ hours per week: Health, Dental and vision insurance , Health Savings Account , Healthcare Flexible Spending Account , Life insurance, Long-term disability leave , Dependent daycare spending account , Tuition assistance/reimbursement , and Simple Steps (global well-being program).The following benefits and additional compensation are available to all regular employees: Incentive plans, 401(k) plan plus employer contribution and match , Short-term disability , Paid time off , Paid holidays , Employee Stock Purchase Plan , Employee Assistance Program , Non-qualified Retirement Plan Supplement (subject to IRS earning minimums) , and Capital Accumulation Plan (available to Vice Presidents and above, or subject to IRS earning minimums).Regular employees are those who are not temporary, such as interns. Temporary employees are eligible for paid sick time, as required under applicable state law, and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Please note some of the above benefits may not apply to workers in Puerto Rico.Further details are available at the link below:Medtronic benefits and compensation plansIt is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.If you are applying to perform work for Medtronic, Inc. (“Medtronic”) in any position which will involve performing at least two (2) hours of work on average each week within the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, you can find here a list of all material job duties of the specific job position which Medtronic reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. Medtronic will consider for employment qualified job applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.