Sr. Mgr R&D Applications & Master data

DePuy Synthes is recruiting for a Sr. Mgr, R&D Applications & Master Data, located in Raynham, Massachusetts. 

Senior Manager, R&D Applications & Systems

DePuy Synthes is seeking a Senior Manager to lead the global R&D Applications & Systems team.  In this role you will define the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) product and platform strategy that enables R&D and product development across the enterprise. This role will own enterprise-scale PLM capabilities and integrations across R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain. As Business Product Manager for PLM, ALM, and CAD capabilities — including an Agile → Windchill transformation — you will enable trusted, traceable R&D applications and master data that accelerate innovation, support regulatory compliance, and shorten time-to-market for medical devices.

Key responsibilities

• Product strategy & governance
  • Define and execute the global PLM/ALM/CAD product and platform strategy aligned to R&D and enterprise IT objectives.
  • Own product-side governance, roadmap, and budget accountability for R&D applications and master data domains where R&D is the primary business owner.
  • Maintain a harmonized R&D application catalog and technical stack to reduce fragmentation while preserving specialized engineering capabilities.
• Business Product Management & delivery
  • Serve as the Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) and Business Product Manager for PLM development and deployment initiatives, including an Agile → Windchill transformation.
  • Own backlog prioritization, feature decomposition, release planning, and acceptance of delivered value. Participate in PI Planning and Agile ceremonies as required.
  • Define and track outcomes and KPIs (adoption, lead time, data quality, delivery performance) and use data to drive decisions and course corrections.
• Master data strategy & integrations
  • Define and operationalize master data models, governance, stewardship, and quality practices for critical R&D domains.
  • Establish data quality management (profiling, validation rules, remediation workflows) and root-cause analysis for recurring data defects.
  • Partner with enterprise architecture and IT to design and govern integrations that ensure data lineage and end-to-end traceability between PLM, Quality, Regulatory, ERP, Manufacturing, and analytics systems.
• Team, vendor & stakeholder leadership
  • Lead, develop, and scale a team that partners with R&D stakeholders to capture business needs, translate them into technical requirements, and prioritize work with IT and external vendors.
  • Manage vendor selection, third-party relationships, contracts, and vendor delivery performance.
  • Collaborate with IT, cybersecurity, Quality, and Regulatory partners to ensure solutions meet compliance and validation requirements (FDA, ISO 13485, EU MDR/IVDR).
  • Coach product managers and cross-functional Agile teams to deliver iterative value using Scrum/Kanban and product discovery practices.
• Change management & adoption
  • Develop stakeholder readiness, training, and adoption plans for system and data transformations. Maintain continuous user engagement through feedback loops and user groups.
• Continuous improvement & modernization
  • Monitor industry and vendor trends, evaluate emerging technologies, and recommend modernization approaches to improve R&D processes and tooling.
• Metrics & reporting
  • Define team and portfolio KPIs (adoption, data quality, delivery cadence, cost optimization, tool rationalization, availability) and report progress to senior leadership.

Success measures

• Timely delivery of PLM transformation milestones and roadmap releases.
• Increased PLM adoption and measurable reduction in tool fragmentation.
• Improvements in data quality, traceability, throughput, and regulatory compliance metrics.
• Reduced lead times for engineering changes and demonstrable business value from prioritized investments.
• Effective budget stewardship and vendor performance.

Required qualifications

• 8+ years in product management, application portfolio management, or R&D technology roles, including people leadership.
• Demonstrated experience leading Windchill PLM (or equivalent PLM) platforms and large-scale technology programs.
• Experience integrating PLM with Quality, Regulatory, ERP, Manufacturing, and analytics systems to enable traceability and lifecycle visibility.
• Strong background in master data management, governance frameworks, and data quality practices.
• Proven ability to lead product teams using Agile practices to translate R&D business needs into delivered, value-driven technology solutions.
• Experience operating in regulated R&D environments (GxP), partnering with Quality/Regulatory, and delivering validated systems.
• Experience owning product budgets, investment prioritization, and vendor relationships.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in STEM, Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or related field; advanced degree preferred.

Preferred skills and attributes

• Prior experience in medical technology, life sciences, or regulated manufacturing environments.
• Hands-on knowledge of ALM/CAD tooling and integrations (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps) and PLM-ALM bridges.
• Familiarity with analytics platforms, cloud-based architectures, and master data tooling.
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to translate strategy into actionable roadmaps and measurable outcomes.

Proven change leadership experience with a track record of driving adopti

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