PD Program Director - Core Team Leader - Neuromodulation at Medtronic in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Job Description:

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 2 May 2025

At Medtronic you can begin a life-long career of exploration and innovation, while helping champion healthcare access and equity for all. You'll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation in a more connected, compassionate world.

A Day in the Life
Core Team Leader for aDBS / Nexus 2.0
PD Program Director: DBS Core Team Leader - Neuromodulation

Medtronic pioneered the field of neuromodulation with groundbreaking innovations, including the first commercially available spinal cord stimulator for chronic pain, the first deep brain stimulation (DBS) system for movement disorders, and the first implantable drug pump for targeted medication delivery to the intrathecal space of the spine. More than 40 years later, we continue to push the boundaries of innovation, constantly challenging ourselves to disrupt the markets we created. By advancing science with bold thinking and collaboration, we bring together the right expertise to engineer groundbreaking therapies and technologies that transform patient care.

Join a diverse team of innovators who bring their worldview, their unique backgrounds and their individual life experiences to work every day. It's no accident - we work hard to cultivate a workforce that reflects our patients and partners. We believe it's the only way to drive healthcare forward and remain a global leader in medical technology and solutions.

A career at Medtronic is like no other. We're purposeful. We're committed. And we're driven by our Mission to alleviate pain, restore health and extend life for millions of people worldwide. We value what makes you unique. Be a part of a company that thinks differently to solve problems, make progress, and deliver meaningful innovations.

The Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Core Team Leader (CTL) is responsible for the management direction of all phases of design and development of new medical device systems, software, and user experience from product definition through development, manufacturing process characterization, production ramp, and global commercialization.

For more background on Medtronic DBS Therapy:

• https://www.medtronic.com/en-us/healthcare-professionals/specialties/neurology/therapies-procedures/deep-brain-stimulation.html


• https://www.medtronic.com/en-us/c/patients-caregivers/neurological/discover-dbs.html?cid=SOC:LI:sharediscoverdbs:PAM25


• https://www.facebook.com/MedtronicParkinsons

This role requires a blend of strengths in three key areas:

• Program Leadership of a complex multi-functional program, with strong interpersonal skills


• Clinical Acumen: understanding of the clinical and market value the new product brings into the market in the context of the current Standard of Care.


• Business Acumen with strong ties to partners in commercialization of products (Operations, Marketing, Customers, etc.)

Day in the Life:

• Program Leadership. The DBS Core Team Leader will coordinate all program efforts among multiple functions through Core Team Members and Functional Leaders to facilitate high quality, comprehensive, and efficient on time/on budget development, stakeholder management, program management, verification/validation strategy, clinical benefits, evidence, claims generation, regulatory submissions, production ramp, and partnership with marketing for commercialization. They will ensure the right extended team members are included within the planned budget and available when needed by the team. Regular communication with the DBS Therapy Director and functional leadership is critical to ensure issues are resolved and alignment of priorities are clear to maintain schedule milestones and adhere to expense and capital allocation. Recommend program decisions affecting scope/cost/schedule to higher level management.


• Clinical Acumen. The DBS Core Team Leader will work closely with clinical, marketing, and research & technology organizations to ensure that the commercial features, workflows, and customer and patient experience goals will lead to a lasting market impact. They will work to bridge system and technology capabilities with customer needs to shape release priorities and roadmaps for the product line. They will represent the program in interactions with Key Opinion Leaders in the field, during scientific congresses and advisory meetings.


• Business Acumen. The DBS Core Team Leader has responsibility for the entire program and will work with program team members and functional leaders on ensuring crisp and clear information exchange within the team and to stakeholders, communicate the business case for the program, and commercialization needs/plans to achieve the planned revenue and ROI agreed to for the product or system. The Leader will need to integrate and align the program within the larger Neuromodulation roadmap.


• Accountable for overall program execution. Works with functional core/extended team members and Regional leaders/teams to ensure clear communication of project/program objectives, deliverables, and timing of key milestones. Proactively resolves conflict.


• Can represent the program vision, roadmap, competitive positioning, workflows, and technology details to internal stakeholders and clinicians.


• Manages daily execution of project/programs including critical path tasks, budgets, resources, and risk. Effective use of project schedules, work breakdown, and tracking tools to manage project risks, monthly spend, and activities.


• Leads and is accountable for team culture and effectiveness, including defining roles and responsibilities, team norms, recognition, onboarding, and decision making.


• Understands applicable product standards and procedures and navigates the matrix to provide the required regulatory deliverables.


• Serves a role in management of the broader DBS portfolio, including interacting with other CTLs to ensure plans to address dependencies and interdependencies between all programs and assets in the portfolio.


• Provides concepts, options, and solutions that serve the DBS roadmap, leading the team to explore make vs. buy solutions and identifying system synergies with other Neuromodulation therapies


• Maintains effective communication with the business leadership team, team members and regional/functional leadership.


• Monitors progress toward pre-established objectives, assesses risk, and implements strategies to ensure successful delivery of the efforts, aligning with business and region goals.


• Maintains strong focus on time-to-market while solving problems creatively, cutting through complexity.


• Delivers results with uncompromising quality, integrity, and ethics.


• Travel- Less than 25%

Qualifications - External

Must Have: Minimum Requirements

• Bachelors degree in Engineering or Scientific field


• Minimum of 10 years of technical work experience with 7+ years of managerial experience, or advanced degree with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience with 7+ years of managerial experience

This is not a remote position - candidate needs to reside in the MN market.

Nice to Have

• MS degree in engineering or scientific field or MBA degree.


• Passion for the Medtronic Mission, our Patients, and Customers.


• Demonstrated track record in successfully leading projects to completion on time and within budget.


• Experience working on SW development programs in an Agile development methodology, managing a cadence of releases while overseeing scoping, development, and launch of multiple release iterations.


• Experience with Software as a Service development in a regulated environment.


• Strong communication skills, written, verbal, and listening, with all levels of the organization.


• Influence management skills. Ability to influence business senior leaders, functional leaders, peers, and individual contributors.


• Experience supporting cross-functional and cross-regional teams in a matrixed organization, developing collaborative relationships.


• Demonstrated strong business and financial acumen.


• Demonstrated strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills.


• Demonstrated clinical and scientific aptitude.


• Ability to facilitate team meetings, create and deliver presentations, and drive meetings to action-oriented decisions.


• Working knowledge of project management methodologies and tools, particularly on risk-based decision making.


• Results oriented. Ability to drive to completion in adherence to aggressive project schedules.


• Enthusiasm towards process improvements and change management.


• Identifies, manages, resolves, and escalates issues in a proactive, creative, and timely fashion.

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.

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.

Salary ranges for U.S (excl. PR) locations (USD):$188,800.00 - $283,200.00

This 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 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

About Medtronic

We lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions.
Our Mission - to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life - unites a global team of 95,000+ passionate people.
We are engineers at heart- putting ambitious ideas to work to generate real solutions for real people. From the R&D lab, to the factory floor, to the conference room, every one of us experiments, creates, builds, improves and solves. We have the talent, diverse perspectives, and guts to engineer the extraordinary.

Learn more about our business, mission, and our commitment to diversity here .

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.