R&D Program Manager Jobs
R&D Program Manager jobs are open across biotech, aerospace, semiconductor, and consumer electronics companies, from associate program manager to senior director, with specializations in clinical research operations, hardware development programs, and cross-functional product pipeline management. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 1,689+ R&D Program Manager jobs
Careers 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 Life
Principal R&D Product Engineer
Careers that Change Lives
As part of the Surgical Released Product Engineering (RPE) Team, we drive best in class clinical outcomes, customer satisfaction and business value for all commercialized Surgical products by ensuring consistent quality, supply continuity and market competitiveness while elevating the technical careers of employees. The Principal R&D Product Engineer will report into the Wound Management (WM) RPE Team within the WM Center of Excellence (COE) group of R&D. They will focus on supporting changes to existing products to meet customer needs and maintain our wound closure product lines. They will s erve as the design owner and technical expert, supporting released product engineering teams by planning, developing, and executing testing and analysis activities during product change implementation. This role focuses on driving improvements in product performance and manufacturability, reducing cost, improving quality and ensuring supply continuity while maintaining design intent.
A Day in the Life
Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned.
- Designs, develops, analyzes, troubleshoots, and provides technical support during product development and manufacturing.
- Recognized expert, managing large projects or processes
- Exercises considerable latitude in determining deliverables of assignments, with limited oversight from manager
- Coaches, reviews and delegates work to lower level specialists
- Designs studies to investigate root cause or identify process parameters; applying statistical methods and science-based decision making
- Defining and supporting product development, improvements to existing products and pre-clinical studies.
- Defines and performs verification and validation activities ensuring products meet user needs and intended use.
- Investigation and evaluation of existing technologies.
- Guides the conceptualization of new methodologies, materials, machines, or processes related to existing product manufacturing and design.
- Coordinates activities with outside suppliers and consultants to ensure timely delivery.
- Writes engineering reports and creates presentations as required to document and communicate results.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and interpersonal skills to successfully partner on varying levels ranging from cross functional to global multi-site and multi-business unit
- Supports technical evaluations for OEM, BD&L, and commercial driven evaluations with a focus on design ownership
- Work will be performed in R&D laboratories and in manufacturing facilities
Must Have: Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, or Biomedical Engineering Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, or advanced degree with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience
Nice to Have
- Specialization in absorbable polymers, surgical needles, or sutures
- Experience in the medical device industry
- Practical experience and theoretical knowledge in the one or more of the following areas:
- Polymer development and manufacturing
- Fiber extrusion
- Textile manufacturing
- Design for high volume manufacturing assembly processes
- Absorbable materials and devices
- Must be team oriented, with the ability to work well on common deliverables with diverse cross-functional teams and to interact at the highest professional manner with all organizational levels
- Participation in pre-clinical in vivo labs, observing cases in hospitals and through customer interactions.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks/projects with a strong problem-solving ability.
- Demonstrates strong initiative and ownership
- Experience with DRM / DFSS, Lean Sigma, or Green/Black Belt Lean Sigma certification Proficiency in Minitab and Microsoft Office – Outlook, Word, Power Point, Excel, and MS Teams
- undefined
About Medtronic
Together, we can change healthcare worldwide. At Medtronic, we push the limits of what technology, therapies and services can do to help alleviate pain, restore health and extend life. We challenge ourselves and each other to make tomorrow better than yesterday. It is what makes this an exciting and rewarding place to be.
We want to accelerate and advance our ability to create meaningful innovations - but we will only succeed with the right people on our team. Let’s work together to address universal healthcare needs and improve patients’ lives. Help us shape the future.
Physical Job Requirements
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. (ADA-United States of America)
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 Requirements
The 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 & Sponsorship
At 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 Alert
We 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 AskHR@medtronic.com .
Benefits & Compensation
Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package
A 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.
This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP). The base salary range is applicable across the United States, excluding Puerto Rico and specific locations in California. The offered rate complies with federal and local regulations and may vary based on factors such as experience, certification/education, market conditions, and location. 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 plans
It 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.
Careers 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 Life
Principal R&D Product Engineer
Careers that Change Lives
As part of the Surgical Released Product Engineering (RPE) Team, we drive best in class clinical outcomes, customer satisfaction and business value for all commercialized Surgical products by ensuring consistent quality, supply continuity and market competitiveness while elevating the technical careers of employees. The Principal R&D Product Engineer will report into the Wound Management (WM) RPE Team within the WM Center of Excellence (COE) group of R&D. They will focus on supporting changes to existing products to meet customer needs and maintain our wound closure product lines. They will s erve as the design owner and technical expert, supporting released product engineering teams by planning, developing, and executing testing and analysis activities during product change implementation. This role focuses on driving improvements in product performance and manufacturability, reducing cost, improving quality and ensuring supply continuity while maintaining design intent.
A Day in the Life
Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned.
- Designs, develops, analyzes, troubleshoots, and provides technical support during product development and manufacturing.
- Recognized expert, managing large projects or processes
- Exercises considerable latitude in determining deliverables of assignments, with limited oversight from manager
- Coaches, reviews and delegates work to lower level specialists
- Designs studies to investigate root cause or identify process parameters; applying statistical methods and science-based decision making
- Defining and supporting product development, improvements to existing products and pre-clinical studies.
- Defines and performs verification and validation activities ensuring products meet user needs and intended use.
- Investigation and evaluation of existing technologies.
- Guides the conceptualization of new methodologies, materials, machines, or processes related to existing product manufacturing and design.
- Coordinates activities with outside suppliers and consultants to ensure timely delivery.
- Writes engineering reports and creates presentations as required to document and communicate results.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and interpersonal skills to successfully partner on varying levels ranging from cross functional to global multi-site and multi-business unit
- Supports technical evaluations for OEM, BD&L, and commercial driven evaluations with a focus on design ownership
- Work will be performed in R&D laboratories and in manufacturing facilities
Must Have: Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, or Biomedical Engineering Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, or advanced degree with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience
Nice to Have
- Specialization in absorbable polymers, surgical needles, or sutures
- Experience in the medical device industry
- Practical experience and theoretical knowledge in the one or more of the following areas:
- Polymer development and manufacturing
- Fiber extrusion
- Textile manufacturing
- Design for high volume manufacturing assembly processes
- Absorbable materials and devices
- Must be team oriented, with the ability to work well on common deliverables with diverse cross-functional teams and to interact at the highest professional manner with all organizational levels
- Participation in pre-clinical in vivo labs, observing cases in hospitals and through customer interactions.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks/projects with a strong problem-solving ability.
- Demonstrates strong initiative and ownership
- Experience with DRM / DFSS, Lean Sigma, or Green/Black Belt Lean Sigma certification Proficiency in Minitab and Microsoft Office – Outlook, Word, Power Point, Excel, and MS Teams
- undefined
About Medtronic
Together, we can change healthcare worldwide. At Medtronic, we push the limits of what technology, therapies and services can do to help alleviate pain, restore health and extend life. We challenge ourselves and each other to make tomorrow better than yesterday. It is what makes this an exciting and rewarding place to be.
We want to accelerate and advance our ability to create meaningful innovations - but we will only succeed with the right people on our team. Let’s work together to address universal healthcare needs and improve patients’ lives. Help us shape the future.
Physical Job Requirements
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. (ADA-United States of America)
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 Requirements
The 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 & Sponsorship
At 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 Alert
We 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 AskHR@medtronic.com .
Benefits & Compensation
Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package
A 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.
This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP). The base salary range is applicable across the United States, excluding Puerto Rico and specific locations in California. The offered rate complies with federal and local regulations and may vary based on factors such as experience, certification/education, market conditions, and location. 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 plans
It 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.
R&D Program Manager Jobs by Experience Level
See All 1,689+ R&D Program Manager Jobs
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Find R&D Program Manager JobsR&D Program Manager Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Sandia National Laboratories79
- Los Alamos National Laboratory71
- Kraft Heinz34
- Sherwin-Williams30
- Keysight Technologies30
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software54
- Manufacturing30
- Electronics & Hardware24
- Medical Devices19
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals19
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in R&D program manager jobs.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering, life sciences, or a related technical field
- 5 or more years managing complex, multi-phase R&D or product development programs
- Proficiency with project management tools such as Jira, Smartsheet, or MS Project
- Experience applying stage-gate, agile, or waterfall frameworks in a technical environment
- Strong cross-functional coordination skills across engineering, regulatory, and commercial teams
- PMP, PgMP, or equivalent program management certification preferred by many employers
Tips for Your R&D Program Manager Job Search
Tailor your resume to stage gates
R&D hiring managers scan for phase-gate or stage-gate experience specifically. Call out the frameworks you've run, the number of concurrent workstreams you managed, and whether you owned the gate review process or supported it.
Highlight cross-functional ownership clearly
Generic phrases like 'worked with engineering and marketing' won't land. Name the functions you coordinated, the dependencies you resolved, and the milestone decisions you owned. R&D roles demand proof you drove alignment, not just attended meetings.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists r&d program manager openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match your background and apply directly to each listing without sorting through unrelated results.
Match your search terms to the industry
Job titles vary significantly by sector. Search 'research program manager' in pharma and biotech, 'hardware program manager' in semiconductors and consumer electronics, and 'technical program manager' in software-adjacent R&D. Each term surfaces a different set of active openings.
Prepare a portfolio of ambiguous projects
Interviewers for r&d roles specifically probe how you handle technical uncertainty. Prepare two or three examples where the scope changed mid-program, a key technical assumption failed, or a cross-functional team disagreed on direction, and explain how you kept the program moving.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
In R&D, the number of programs you manage, your budget authority, and your access to executive sponsors affect your day-to-day influence as much as title or pay. Ask directly about portfolio size, decision rights, and reporting structure before you accept any offer.
R&D Program Manager Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most r&d program managers?
The most active employers for r&d program managers right now are Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Kraft Heinz, and the most openings are in California, New Mexico, and Texas, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand tends to concentrate at large medical device, semiconductor, and defense contractors with multi-year development pipelines.
How many r&d program manager jobs are remote?
About 37% of r&d program manager openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though the share varies by industry. Software and digital health R&D roles are the most remote-friendly, while hardware, lab-based, and regulated medical device programs typically require on-site presence for prototyping, testing, and regulatory inspections.
How do you become a r&d program manager?
Most r&d program managers move into the role after several years as an engineer, scientist, or project lead in a technical function. Building experience coordinating cross-functional milestones, earning a PMP or equivalent certification, and demonstrating that you can manage ambiguous technical programs with shifting requirements are the most reliable steps toward landing your first r&d program manager role.
Can you get hired as an r&d program manager without direct experience?
Yes, candidates transition into r&d program manager roles from adjacent positions such as systems engineer, lab manager, clinical research coordinator, or technical project lead. Employers look for evidence that you've owned a multi-stakeholder deliverable under technical uncertainty. Framing your existing work around phase milestones, risk management, and cross-functional alignment is more persuasive than applying only where your title is an exact match.
What does the r&d program manager interview process look like?
Most r&d program manager interviews include an initial recruiter screen, a hiring manager call focused on your program management background, and a panel round with engineering, product, and sometimes regulatory or operations leads. Expect behavioral questions on managing technical risk and stakeholder conflict, and often a case exercise or presentation asking you to walk through how you'd structure and track a multi-phase development program.
Where can I find and apply to r&d program manager jobs?
You can find and apply to r&d program manager jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from companies across the United States. Search for roles that match your industry background and seniority level, then apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 1,689+ R&D Program Manager Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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