Sr Principal R&D Engineer, Metals CoE

Innovation starts from the heart. At Edwards, we put patients first. We invest a significant proportion of our revenue towards research and development to drive and develop groundbreaking medical innovations for structural heart disease and critical care. As part of our R&D Engineering team, you will work closely with our Quality and Manufacturing teams to develop the latest tools and technologies to address significant, unmet clinical needs that impact patients’ lives around the world.

The Sr. Principal Engineer will be responsible for new alloy development and optimization of advanced alloys for structural heart therapies and supporting new product development and GSC through materials selection, processing, testing and metallurgical expertise as it relates to Biomaterials (metals) like Nitinol, Stainless Steel, Cobalt Chromium and Titanium alloys. Additional responsibilities include materials characterization, failure analysis investigations and mitigation, coaching and training of engineers.

You will make an impact by...

• Initiating, planning and leading the design, development and optimization of new alloys and/or materials processing methods and technology. Developing highly complex experiments & models; executing experiments, analysis and documenting results.
• Collaborating with internal stakeholders and external vendors to assess and implement new materials and materials manufacturing methods for innovative medical devices. Developing project plans to assess complex technology and materials and driving project results.
• Providing direction and guidance to product and process development teams and global supply chain on materials selection and specifications for structural heart implants and delivery systems, materials characterization and testing including corrosion, tensile, fatigue & other mechanical testing, radial force testing, SEM/EDX analysis, HAZ analysis, microstructure analysis, transformation temperature testing (DSC), Auger analysis, XRD analysis, etc. 
• Diagnosing and resolving real-world failure problems of significant complexity in material properties and material manufacturing methods thorough failure analyses and testing and by developing solutions
• Generating test methods and protocols, engineering models and drawings/prototypes, etc., to establish/characterize material and/or process specifications.
• Overseeing R&D support tasks; giving instruction to technicians/engineers on conducting tests; training technicians/engineers and provide feedback; and coordinating technician/engineer work.
• Training, coaching, and guiding lower-level employees on more complex procedures.

What you'll need:

• Ph.D is preferred

• Ph.D. in Metallurgy, Material Science with a focus in metals and alloys, or related field with minimum of 4 years of experience required

• Bachelor's Degree in Metallurgy, Material Science with a focus in metals and alloys, or related field with minimum of 8 years of experience is required or

• Master's Degree in Metallurgy, Material Science with a focus in metals and alloys or related with minimum of 7 years of experience is required or

What else we look for:

• Minimum of 4 years of experience in the medical device industry.

• Strong first principles understanding of structure-property relationships in metals, and demonstrated knowledge of Nitinol properties, processing and microstructure relationships.
• In-depth knowledge of Nitinol, Stainless Steel, Cobalt Chromium, Titanium and other implantable metal alloys as it relates to materials science, material fatigue, corrosion behavior, materials characterization, stress & failure analysis, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to apply scientific fundamentals to complex use cases in medical devices
• Hands-on experience with SEM, metallography and microstructure analysis, experience working in a laboratory.
• Working knowledge of XRD, TEM, FIB, XPS, heat treatment, thermomechanical processing, strengthening mechanisms, fatigue, fracture and mechanical testing
• Knowledge of external standards, e.g. ASTM and ISO and their use, limitations, and applications.
• Experience in supporting regulatory submissions related to materials properties and testing.
• Ability to independently develop strategies, plans and execute, and be effective with minimal supervision.
• Ability to collaborate, build relationships and work effectively with internal and external teams, cross functional partners.
• Ability to represent organization as key technical contact internally as well as externally.

Preferred skills and experience:

• Hands-on experience with pitting and galvanic corrosion evaluation and testing
• Experience implementing new materials in medical devices
• Experience in fract