Principal Product Manager – Upstream

About the role:
The Upstream Product Manager is responsible for developing and driving key marketing and business objectives with a focus on the Interventional Spine franchise.  This role will monitor competitive activity and identify customer needs, working closely with engineering and clinical teams to develop differentiated solutions for patients and physicians. This person is an experienced marketer of highly technical and clinical products and demonstrates strength in franchise management, product development concept to commercialization, with a high level of business acumen.
Responsibilities will include:

• Develops and maintains a comprehensive competitive intelligence framework to monitor competitors’ strategies, products, market activities, and performance in the back pain solutions space.
• Determines clear and specific priorities for the development of new products and product enhancements by defining customer needs and working with other internal functional groups.
• Leads voice-of-customer (VOC) and voice-of-business (VOB) activities for current and proposed investments.
• Formulates recommendations on translating data collected and ardently advocates for customer needs while collaborating on product inputs and clinical benchmarks.
• Constructively garners input and challenges assumptions with Global counterparts to refine product decisions.
• Makes recommendations on product launch cadence leveraging a broad organizational, technical capability and competitive perspective.
• Positively represents the company by visiting accounts and users to solicit feedback on company products and services.
• Consolidates and disseminates a deep understanding of the competitive global interventional spine therapy landscape.
• Contribute to understanding key industry dynamics in formulating technology, clinical and commercial strategies. Supports regional training of marketing and sales teams.
• Develop and leverage marketing insights to simplify segmentation, product positioning, message development, channel identification, tool creation, and execution to meet business objectives.
• Collaborate with senior management to contribute to the formulation of both annual and mid-term operating plans with the finance team.
• Proposes the allocation of resources to assist in managing products’ life cycle from concept through retirement by assessing long-term needs and objectives.
• Support execution of recommendations.
• Network with colleagues in other divisions and cross-functional departments to align strategies and opportunities.
• Demonstrate a primary commitment to patient safety and product quality.
• Understand and comply with all regulations governing the quality systems.

Required qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Science, Healthcare/Biomedical fields
• 5+ years of professional experience in the medical device industry.
• 3+ years in research, engineering or product development roles.
• Experience with market and revenue modeling.
• Ability to collaborate with and influence key stakeholders without direct authority.
• Flexibility to travel up to 20% in support of tradeshows, internal meetings and customer programs as required.

Preferred qualifications: 

• Advanced degrees, including M.S, PhD or MBA
• Specific medical device experience in low back pain solutions
• Outstanding customer service skills, both internal and external to the organization.
• Previous clinical support or trial experience
• Proven track record of Physician and KOL engagement
• Single-use device and capital product launch experience
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively to meet deadlines and manage all aspects of product development with a high degree of attention to detail.