Principal Program Manager (Assay Development, Infectious Diseases, NPD)

At Cepheid, we are passionate about improving health care through fast, accurate diagnostic testing. Our mission drives us, every moment of every day, as we develop scalable, groundbreaking solutions to solve the world’s most complex health challenges. Our associates are involved in every stage of molecular diagnostics, from ideation to development and delivery of testing advancements that improve patient outcomes across a range of settings. As a member of our team, you can make an immediate, measurable impact on a global scale, within an environment that fosters career growth and development. 

Cepheid is proud to work alongside a community of six fellow Danaher Diagnostics companies. Together, we’re working at the pace of change on diagnostic tools that address the world’s biggest health challenges, driven by knowing that behind every test there is a patient waiting. 

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The Principal Program Manager, New Product Development, is responsible for ensuring the timely development, successful commercialization execution, and effective lifecycle management of large-scale, highly-strategic, and complex new products.

The Principal Program Manager leads cross-functional teams through the process from conceptualization to commercial launch and beyond, overseeing the product's evolution in the market. This role will require the ability to blend knowledge of the global market environment with the varying needs of Cepheid’s customers across all geographies to inform new product strategies and lifecycle decisions.

The Principal Program Manager is accountable for leveraging new and diverse approaches resulting in optimized solutions for new product development and lifecycle management by leading the team through Commercial, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and technical problem-solving and decision-making. This leader also leads and facilitates the decisions related to talent and resource allocations, negotiations, and changes working with functional managers and other business leaders to support NPD initiatives and product lifecycle strategies.  

This is a highly visible and critical position on our leadership team; this role will represent the program and program team to executive leadership, as well as the global organization, specifically regarding new product pipelines, progress, and the ongoing health and performance of launched products.

Programs for new product development are managed using a structured Phase Gate product development process which includes understanding an ISO, GMP, IVDR, and FDA compliant environment, as well as considerations for the product's entire lifecycle.

This position will report directly to the Vice-President, Portfolio and Program Management Office, and will be located onsite in Sunnyvale, California.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Leads and directs the cross-functional activities and outcomes of a new product development program, including post-launch activities and lifecycle management. Ensures alignment of new product value proposition, program scope, strategic business objective, and long-term lifecycle plans.

• Leads program leadership daily management and L2 product planning group (PPG) for key large-scale, highly-strategic, highly-complex business-critical new product project or program interacting with business leaders, senior functional leaders on significant business matters, strategic, operational, or technical matters, to define the best options for new product development and ongoing lifecycle management.

• Provides coaching, mentoring, and feedback to Core Team members, Project Managers, and Functional Leaders involved in new product programs and product lifecycle initiatives, while creating and sustaining an inclusive environment.

• Analyzes data and complex situations involving the evaluation of tangible variables to programs, specifically related to new product performance, market trends, and the need for updates or enhancements throughout the product lifecycle.

• Uses advanced knowledge of business processes and organizational savvy to mobilize and deploy the resources necessary to support new product development, launch, and subsequent lifecycle management activities.  

• Demonstrates program management best practices and contributes to improving the new product development and product lifecycle manageme