Sr. Director, Product Innovation Management

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 Senior Director of Product Innovation Management role will be responsible for defining and guiding the execution of Cepheid’s assay R&D pipeline across all the New Product Development (NPD) teams in our Sunnyvale R&D Center of Excellence. You will play a pivotal role in identifying unmet clinical needs, translating those needs into groundbreaking products, and bringing them to market. You will also be a critical champion for our future products and our culture of innovation both internally and externally.

This position is part of Global Product Management and will be located in Sunnyvale, CA. At Cepheid, our vision is to be the leading provider of seamlessly connected diagnostic solutions.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Lead a high-performing team of Product Innovation Managers, fostering a team culture of excellence and continuous improvement that prioritizes cross-functional business leadership, data-driven decision-making, and associate learning & development.

• In partnership with Product Portfolio Managers, lead thorough market research and assessments to understand unmet clinical needs and technological trends and identify actionable new product ideas.

• With an “outside in” perspective, translate top new product ideas into detailed and clear product definitions that are compelling & competitive in the market and feasible for our Sunnyvale assay New Product Development (NPD) core teams to execute on.

• Partner with R&D and Clinical & Regulatory Affairs to drive our assay innovation execution in Sunnyvale by guiding the Product Innovation Managers within our Sunnyvale assay NPD core teams.

• Partner with Product Portfolio Managers to bring new products to market and drive excellent launches.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across the organization, including R&D, Clinical & Regulatory Affairs, and Marketing.

• Champion a culture of creativity and collaboration across all stages of the product development lifecycle, from ideation to commercialization.

The essential requirements of the job include:

• Successful candidates will have 10+ years of experience with a Bachelor's degree in biological sciences, engineering and/or medicine OR 8+ years of experience with a Master's degree in biological sciences, engineering and/or medicine; Ph.D. and/or M.D. preferred. In addition, candidates must have 3+ years of managing people.

• Proven track record of success in leading product innovation management within the Diagnostics industry or a related field (e.g., Medical Device, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, Life Sciences) and a deep knowledge of the healthcare industry, how new technologies get to market in healthcare, and what drives their success.

• Deep knowledge of the regulatory landscape governing Medical Devices and Diagnostics.

• Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills, with a strong track record of translating market insights into actionable product roadmaps amidst uncertainty and balancing technology, customer need, and market value in product decision-making.

• Strong collaborative leadership style, with a strong track record of driving results with buy-in within matrixed organizations.

• Experience building & coaching excellent product management teams and effectively managing change.

• Extensive experience in effectively communicating complex technical information to diverse audiences and championing innovation cross-functionally.

Travel, Motor Vehicle Record & Physical/Environment Requirements:

• Requires frequent travel of up t