R&D Project Manager

Immediate need for a talented R&D Project Manager. This is a 12 months contract opportunity with long-term potential and is located in San Diego, CA(Hybrid). Please review the job description below and contact me ASAP if you are interested.

Job ID:26-08555

Pay Range: $60 - $90/hour.  Employee benefits include, but are not limited to, health insurance (medical, dental, vision), 401(k) plan, and paid sick leave (depending on work location).

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage multiple R&D programs and/or large-scale product development projects, from feasibility through commercialization, including Class II and/or Class III medical devices (with emphasis on electrically active/medical electrical equipment where applicable).
• Develop and maintain integrated program plans, timelines (Gantt charts), budgets, resource plans, and risk registers; proactively identify and mitigate risks across technical, regulatory, clinical, commercial, and electrical safety dimensions.
• Define project scope, objectives, deliverables, and success criteria; create and maintain project charters, work breakdown structures (WBS), and detailed schedules.
• Lead cross-functional core teams (R&D/Engineering, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical, Manufacturing, Marketing, and Operations) to execute program objectives; facilitate effective decision-making and resolve conflicts.
• Drive adherence to Design Control processes (21 CFR 820.30), risk management (ISO 14971), usability engineering (IEC 62366), basic safety and essential performance requirements for medical electrical equipment (IEC 60601-1 series), and other applicable standards throughout the product lifecycle.
• Provide regular status updates, executive-level reporting, and dashboards to senior leadership and stakeholders; communicate program progress, issues, decisions, and changes clearly and proactively.
• Support regulatory strategy development and submissions (e.g., 510(k), PMA, technical files for CE marking), including coordination of electrical safety testing, EMC compliance (IEC 60601-1-2), and collateral/particular standards as needed.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and compliant culture within program teams.
• Oversees and manages the operational aspects of ongoing projects and serves as liaison between project management and planning, project team, and cross functional teams management.
• Lead cross-functional teams through identification of risks & mitigations, problem resolution and root cause analysis, corrective and preventive action.
• Develop and maintain integrated project plan with risk-based timeline, critical path milestones, resource allocation, roadmap with clear milestones for gap analysis, risk management, remediation, testing, certification and budget tracking to support certification goals
• Monitor the effectiveness and performance of the launch and project team and facilitate the development of contingency plans, recommending corrective actions as required.
• Ensure compliance with quality management systems and regulatory requirements, where applicable.
• Lead the team to prepare for and execute Phase Gate. Represent the team with Client leaders, ensuring such decisions are informed by a balanced and clearly articulated representation of the relevant data.
• Leverage technical acumen to partner with engineering teams, monitor development progress, and ensure alignment between technical deliverables and program timelines
• Drive design control discipline throughout product development, ensuring compliance
• Conduct or oversee gap assessments against general, collateral, and particular standards for medical electrical equipment safety and essential performance.
• Manage integrated risk management (per ISO 14971), including essential performance definition, hazard analysis, risk controls, and verification.
• Coordinate and manager the execution of test plans for electrical safety, EMC, mechanical, environmental, and essential performance requirements; coordinate pre-compliance and formal third-party testing.
• Oversee compliance documentation: technical files, risk management files, test reports, essential performance rationale, and certification justification.
• Integrate compliance activities with the quality management system (ISO 13485) and other regulatory requirements (FDA, EU MDR, etc.).
• Serve as primary liaison with notified bodies, test labs, and regulatory consultants to support certification and post-compliance needs.
• Drive a safety-focused culture while ensuring the team meets the September 2027 compliance target

Key Requirements and Technology Experience:

• Key Skills;Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Biomedical, Electrical, Mechanical, or related),Life Sciences, or equivalent.
• 3-5 years of project management in medical devices, with ≥5 years leading compliance programs for medical electrical equipment.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering medical device programs from concept to market launch (including regulatory clearance/approval).
• Strong knowledge of FDA Quality System Regulation (21 CFR Part 820), ISO 13485, ISO 14971 risk management, IEC 62304 (software), and global regulatory pathways (510(k), De Novo, PMA, MDR).
• Proficiency with project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Jira, Smartsheet, or similar) and standard office software.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification not required but is preferred
• Scrum Master and SAFE Agile certification is preferred.
• Experience in medical device industries required, including experience in FDA or other regulated environments.
• Knowledge of the medical device industries beneficial integrating science and technology into business processes.
• Technical background in electrical, mechanical, or biomedical engineering
• Expert in the development and deployment of program management tools and techniques including methods for tracking progress, risk management and delivery of major milestones.
• Understanding of engineering development lifecycles and the ability to translate technical inputs into program-level actions and timelines
• Excellent influencing skills with the ability to achieve challenging goals through others without direct authority across different functions, external partners, geographies, and cultures.
• Drive for accountability within self and others.
• Proven project management experience with delivering medium-to large-scale projects in managed service model from concept through delivery and operations
• Relentless advocacy for the customer with a focus on meeting or exceeding customer requirements.
• Driving the team to make trade-offs that optimize customer and business value while maintaining program velocity and outcomes that sustain the highest standards of quality.
• Direct experience with major test labs and certification bodies for medical electrical equipment standards.
• Experience with programmable electrical medical systems (PEMS) or software-inclusive devices (IEC 62304 knowledge a plus)
• Proven success taking Class II (or higher) active medical electrical devices from gap assessment through third-party certification.
• Strong knowledge of ISO 14971, ISO 13485, general/collateral/particular standards for medical electrical safety and essential performance, and EMC requirements.
• Familiarity with FDA QSR (21 CFR Part 820), EU MDR/IVDR, or other global regulations.

Our client is a leading Pharmaceutical Industry, and we are currently interviewing to fill this and other similar contract positions. If you are interested in this position, please apply online for immediate consideration.

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