Senior Director R&D Portfolio and Program Management

As a global medtech company, we are driven by our Vision of changing the trajectory of lives for a new day and our Mission to create ingenious solutions that ignite patient turnarounds. Our relentless commitment to patients and strong legacy of innovation in healthcare are the foundation of our future. If you're looking for a new chance, a new beginning, a new trajectory, LivaNova is where your talent can truly thrive. Join our talented team members worldwide to become a pioneer of tomorrow—because at LivaNova, we don’t just treat conditions — we aspire to alter the course of lives.

YOUR NEW ROLE

As a Senior Director, R&D Portfolio and Program Management you will provide strategic leadership for the Cardiopulmonary (CP) R&D capital equipment project pipeline and medical product development portfolio, with direct leadership responsibility for R&D Project Heads and PMO.

In this key leadership role, you will lead the CP R&D Portfolio Management operating model and PMO, establishing governance, prioritization, resource planning, reporting, and execution discipline across global, cross-functional development programs.

You will drive portfolio visibility and accountability for schedules, milestones, budgets, Stage Gate deliverables, product lifecycle management, and governance readiness. You will also chair the Portfolio Review Committee (PRC) and partner with CP leadership on portfolio trade-offs, risk management, sequencing, and investment prioritization.

You will lead an organization of approximately 10 employees in Munich, Mirandola, and Milan, with direct reports including 3 Director level Project Heads and 2 Senior Project Managers covering 20+ capital equipment projects and the full medical product development portfolio. You will report directly to the Vice President, CP R&D.

PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP

• Provide strategic oversight and leadership to CP Director, Project Heads and Senior Project Managers, ensuring consistent portfolio planning, disciplined execution, and accountability for project timelines, budgets, milestones, and deliverables.
• Lead, coach, and develop direct reports and their teams, ensuring clear accountability, consistent leadership standards, talent development, and succession planning across the CP R&D project leadership function.
• Oversee CP portfolio risks, issues, interdependencies, and mitigation strategies to protect timelines, budgets, resources, and business-critical deliverables.
• Enable project teams to proactively identify and resolve barriers to ensure timelines, milestones, Stage Gate deliverables, and governance commitments are achieved.
• Chair the PRC governance meetings with senior stakeholders and guide project teams in preparation for governance reviews, decision forums, and executive-level updates.
• Establish, mature, and continuously improve the CP R&D portfolio operating model, including governance cadence, escalation pathways, portfolio prioritization, and standardized project and portfolio management practices.
• Develop executive-level portfolio dashboards, insights, and decision materials that provide visibility to milestones, budget, resource capacity, risks, dependencies, and leadership decisions required to advance the portfolio.

PORTFOLIO GOVERNANCE AND DECISION SUPPORT

• Partner with CP R&D, business, finance, quality, regulatory, operations, and commercial leaders to evaluate portfolio trade-offs, resource constraints, investment priorities, and risk-based sequencing of major development programs.
• Ensure governance forums provide clear decision quality, timely escalation, accountability for follow-through, and alignment to CP business priorities and product development objectives.

BUDGET AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• Monitor project and portfolio budgets, ensure costs remain within approved limits, and provide regular financial reporting and risk-based insights to CP R&D leadership.
• Optimize the use of internal and external resources, ensuring project teams are appropriately supported and resources are deployed efficiently against portfolio priorities.
• Ensure building critical capabilities for the PMO.
• Partner with SLT, HR and Finance for Strategic Planning and Financial forecast processes.
• Resolve resource constraints and facilitate reallocation of activities and effort to support successful project and portfolio outcomes.

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

• Facilitate clear, timely, and transparent communication to ensure stakeholders remain aligned on project objectives, timelines, deliverables, risks, and required decisions.
• Lead regular stakeholder discussions to review progress, address concerns, evaluate trade-offs, and ensure continuous alignment.
• Maintain positive and cooperative communication and collaboration with all levels of employees, customers, contractors, and vendors.

REGULATORY AND COMPLIANCE

• Partner with Regulatory Affairs, Quality, and other functional leaders to ensure portfolio governance and project execution align with applicable medical product development processes, design control requirements, risk management expectations, ISO 13485 quality system requirements, EU MDR expectations, CE Marking considerations, and regulatory submission timelines.
• Incorporate feedback from Regulatory Affairs, Quality, and other functional leaders to prioritize work based on regulatory requirements, product release priorities, Notified Body interactions, and on-time submission needs.

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

• Drive operational excellence and process improvement through expertise in process mapping, lean methodology, and scalable operating model design.
• Apply design thinking principles and facilitate workshops to identify, prioritize, and implement process improvement opportunities across the maturity curve.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts and provide functional areas with the expertise required to improve process maturity after implementation.

ABOUT YOU

• Extensive experience leading complex R&D programs, portfolios, and PMO functions within MedTech, healthcare, life sciences, or other regulated industries, with responsibility for cross-functional execution and governance.
• Proven track record managing large-scale product development initiatives, including new product development (NPD) / new product introduction (NPI) programs, portfolio governance, in a global, matrixed environment.
• Senior people leader with proven experience in leading teams of project and program leaders (incl. Director level), and the ability to set direction, establish goals, coach performance, provide constructive feedback, and build trusted relationships that improve business results.
• Broad, multi-disciplinary technical knowledge in the medical technology, MedTech, regulated healthcare, or life sciences industry, including design controls, ISO 14971 risk management, verification and validation testing, and hardware/software integration.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex business, technical, regulatory, and operational considerations across large-scale, cross-functional medical development programs and global, multisite teams.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in complex, fast-paced, and highly matrixed global organizations, effectively prioritizing competing demands, driving accountability, aligning diverse stakeholders, and influencing senior leadership to deliver strategic business outcomes.
• Knowledge of EU MDR, CE Marking, ISO 13485, design controls, and regulated medical product development processes preferred.
• Fluency in English required; German and/or Italian language skills preferred.
• Experience with portfolio governance, capacity planning, resource allocation, executive dashboards, decision forums, and portfolio trade-off recommendations preferred.

Education:

• Minimum BS degree in engineering, science, business, technology, or equivalent experience
• PMP or equivalent project/program management certification preferred or encouraged.

Travel Requirements:

This position requires business travel approximately 30% of the time to support the CP team, including travel to key European business locations, global sites, and internal meetings.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

In addition to providing you with a supportive, inclusive and collaborative environment where you will feel empowered to take ownership and drive meaningful change, we will reward you with competitive, market-aligned packages across all locations. Actual compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

Base salary range (Italy): €142,500 - €195,000

Base salary range (Germany): €150,000 - €200,000

Bonus target: 20% (note that actual percentage may vary based on business and program considerations)

Italy-specific information (applies only to roles based in Italy)

National Collective Bargaining Agreement: CCNL Dirigenti Industriali

Level: Dirigente

We offer a competitive benefits package including:

Private medical insurance                                                  

Pension scheme                                                    

Employee stock purchase plan                                          

Global recognition programme                                         

Flexible working options                                                    

Additional benefits (e.g. meal vouchers, flexible benefits, local bonuses) may apply depending on location.            

If you like the sound of the above and feel energised by the idea of joining a great brand at a moment of exciting expansion, please apply now. We look forward to hearing from you!