Director, Systems Engineering - ENT R&D

About this role

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 9 Sep 2026   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 Across our global Neuroscience organization, we advance care for some of medicine’s most complex neurological and spinal conditions. By combining innovative technology, data-driven insights, and deep clinical expertise, we partner with physicians and health systems to improve how patients are treated and supported throughout their care journey.

Our Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Operating Unit provides innovative technologies that support clinicians in treating sinus, otology, head and neck, skull base, airway, and related conditions. Our ENT technology includes powered instruments, image-guided surgical systems, and sinus implants that enhance precision, safety, and efficiency across both office and operating room settings—helping improve patient outcomes in a complex and evolving specialty.

Check us out on LinkedIn: Medtronic ENT                     The Director of Systems Engineering leads a multidisciplinary engineering organization responsible for the design, integration, and lifecycle management of complex medical device systems within the ENT Operating Unit. This role drives systems architecture, requirements management, cross-functional integration, and risk oversight while partnering across hardware, software, firmware, and clinical teams to deliver reliable, innovative solutions. The leader will establish systems-level strategies and scalable engineering processes that improve product quality, accelerate time to market, and support the continued advancement of sophisticated ENT therapies and technologies.

Responsibilities may include but are not limited to: 

Leadership & Organizational Development • Lead, build, and scale a high-performing Systems Engineering organization, including hiring, succession planning, and leadership development.

• Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, engagement, and continuous improvement to drive retention and organizational performance.

• Serve as a transformational leader and change agent, advancing organizational effectiveness and cross-functional collaboration across R&D.

Systems Engineering Strategy & Talent Development • Develop and advance systems engineering capabilities aligned with emerging methodologies and ENT therapy area needs.

• Drive consistent application of DRM and systems engineering best practices across R&D functions.

• Provide functional leadership and operational oversight of the Systems Engineering organization.

• Mentor and develop engineering talent to build a strong pipeline of future technical and organizational leaders.

System Architecture & Concept Development • Define and influence ENT platform and system architecture strategy in collaboration with Upstream Marketing to ensure portfolio differentiation and long-term competitiveness.

• Translate scientific, clinical, and technological insights into scalable system architectures and a clear product development roadmap.

• Partner with clinical experts and advisory networks to validate technical direction and inform design decisions.

• Influence cross-functional priorities and ensure alignment of architecture decisions with business and product strategy.

• Communicate architectural vision, trade-offs, and technical strategy to executive leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.

Systems Development & Integration • Lead systems engineering execution within a Core Team Model to enable high-quality, compliant, and on-time product launches.

• Own system-level requirements and architecture across therapy delivery systems, devices, programmers, and accessories.

• Ensure seamless integration across hardware, software, and firmware development partners.

• Drive technology reuse and platform standardization to improve efficiency, scalability, and development speed.

 This role will require                                                                                        Must Have • Bachelor's degree with 10 years of relevant experience OR Masters degree with 8 years of relevant experience

• 7 years of managerial experience

• Strong foundation in systems engineering disciplines, ideally in electrical, mechanical, biomedical, and software engineering

• Experience developing and delivering highly complex, high-reliability systems and technologies in regulated environments

Nice to Have • Medical device industry experience with Class I, II, or III regulated products

• Progressive leadership experience managing complex medical device technology and product portfolios, with responsibility for both strategic direction and tactical execution

• Proven ability to lead cross-functional, matrixed teams and drive alignment across engineering, clinical, regulatory, and commercial stakeholders

• Demonstrated business acumen with strong executive presence and clear, effective communication skills across all organizational levels

• Strong quantitative and analytical capabilities with a track record of data-driven decision-making

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 se

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