Technical Program Manager, Regulated Software & Firmware

It's fun to work in a company where people truly believe in what they are doing!

The Technical Program Manager, Software & Firmware is responsible for driving the delivery of software and firmware across Neogen’s regulated instrumentation portfolio. This role supports device firmware, embedded application software, and bundled data-management software that works alongside Neogen instruments.

This is a technically grounded program leadership role that translates product requirements and integrated program plans into executable software and firmware delivery plans. The Technical Program Manager partners closely with internal engineering teams, external development partners, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Service, and Platform Engineering to ensure releases are planned, developed, verified, documented, and delivered in accordance with product and regulatory requirements.

The successful candidate will bring both technical depth and strong program execution skills, with the ability to understand software, firmware, and hardware dependencies and proactively manage risks throughout the product lifecycle.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Technical Program and Delivery Management

• Own software and firmware delivery plans across new product development, portfolio modernization, and sustaining engineering activities.
• Translate product requirements, technical requirements, and program plans into executable delivery plans, backlogs, milestones, and release schedules.
• Align software and firmware delivery plans with integrated product-development schedules and phase-gate requirements.
• Coordinate day-to-day program execution across internal engineering teams and external development partners.
• Track milestones, dependencies, deliverables, risks, decisions, and issues throughout the development lifecycle.
• Identify delivery risks early and drive appropriate escalation and resolution.
• Maintain clear visibility into program status, dependencies, schedule impacts, and release readiness.
• Support prioritization and sequencing of development activities across multiple products and initiatives.

Software, Firmware, and Hardware Integration

• Coordinate delivery across device firmware, embedded application software, bundled data-management software, and related technical components.
• Partner with Systems, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering to identify and manage cross-disciplinary dependencies.
• Coordinate software and firmware activities around hardware builds, prototype availability, integration windows, verification activities, and manufacturing schedules.
• Work closely with software and firmware architects and technical leads to understand implementation approaches, technical dependencies, risks, and development constraints.
• Support resolution of issues that span software, firmware, hardware, platform, or system boundaries.
• Ensure technical dependencies are reflected appropriately within program and release plans.

Software Product and Feature Delivery

• Coordinate ongoing feature delivery for bundled data-management applications supporting Neogen instrumentation.
• Support delivery of capabilities including reporting, data export, system integration, user management, audit trails, and related product functionality.
• Manage software releases that may occur independently from device firmware releases.
• Coordinate requirements, development, verification, documentation, and release activities across product teams.
• Support integration with connected applications, LIMS, cloud platforms, enterprise systems, or other external systems as applicable.

Requirements, Traceability, and Design Controls

• Support requirements baselining and ensure appropriate traceability from requirements through implementation, testing, and verification evidence.
• Coordinate requirements changes and change-control activities following established product baselines.
• Partner with Systems Engineering, Quality, Regulatory, and Engineering teams to ensure required development documentation is completed.
• Support verification and validation planning and execution for software and firmware deliverables.
• Ensure evidence required for development phase gates, certifications, and regulated product-development activities is available and complete.
• Support risk-management activities related to software and firmware development and release.
• Maintain alignment between program execution and applicable design-control processes.

Release Management and Readiness

• Own coordination of software and firmware release readiness across assigned products.
• Establish clarity around which software, firmware, and product versions are intended to ship together.
• Confirm applicable verification, validation, documentation, and release activities have been completed before product release.
• Coordinate release timing and readiness with Service, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Support, Platform Engineering, and other affected teams.
• Ensure downstream stakeholders have appropriate visibility into upcoming releases, changes, risks, and customer impacts.
• Support release planning for both new product launches and sustaining product updates.
• Coordinate resolution of release blockers and escalate issues when appropriate.

External Development Partner Management

• Coordinate execution with external software and firmware development partners, including onshore and offshore teams.
• Establish clear plans, milestones, deliverables, responsibilities, and expectations for external partners.
• Monitor partner performance, delivery status, dependencies, and risks.
• Facilitate communication between external partners and internal technical and business stakeholders.
• Ensure externally developed software and firmware aligns with Neogen technical, quality, regulatory, and documentation requirements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Software, Firmware, Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, Product Management, Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Service, and Platform Engineering teams.
• Facilitate program planning, technical coordination, issue resolution, and decision-making across functions.
• Communicate program status, technical dependencies, schedule risks, decisions, and recommendations clearly to engineering teams and leadership.
• Provide proactive communication when risks, delays, or technical issues may affect delivery.
• Support continuous improvement of software and firmware delivery practices, planning processes, and cross-functional coordination.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Professional engineering experience working with embedded software, firmware, application software, instrumentation, or other hardware-connected products.
• Two or more years of experience in technical program management, project management, delivery management, or technical leadership coordinating delivery across engineering teams.
• Technical understanding of how software, firmware, and hardware are developed, integrated, tested, and released.
• Experience delivering products where software, firmware, and hardware have interdependent development schedules.
• Experience working within a regulated product-development environment.
• Experience with requirements management, baselining, traceability, verification and validation, change control, and risk management.
• Experience working within a gated or controlled product-development lifecycle.
• Understanding of data-integrity principles applicable to regulated software, including audit trails, electronic records, electronic signatures, and access controls.
• Familiarity with regulatory, certification, or method-validation frameworks applicable to regulated instrumentation or comparable regulated products.
• Experience coordinating technical work across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability to identify program risks, dependencies, and delivery issues and escalate them appropriately.
• Strong technical communication, problem-solving, organization, and stakeholder-management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience coordinating external software or firmware development partners, including offshore or distributed teams.
• Experience with embedded Linux, Yocto, or similar embedded platforms.
• Experience with Qt-based applications.
• Experience delivering desktop, embedded, or connected applications that manage instrument data.
• Experience with LIMS, cloud-platform, or enterprise-system integrations.
• Experience supporting software developed in accordance with ISO 62304 or comparable regulated software-development standards.
• Familiarity with 21 CFR Part 11 requirements.
• Familiarity with food-safety validation and regulatory frameworks such as AOAC Performance Tested Methods, AOAC Official Methods of Analysis, AFNOR NF VALIDATION, MicroVal, ISO 16140, USDA FSIS, USDA FGIS, FDA, or Health Canada requirements.
• Experience with Azure DevOps or comparable tools for backlog management, requirements traceability, and delivery tracking.
• Experience in food safety, diagnostics, scientific instrumentation, laboratory equipment, medical devices, or life sciences.
• PMP, PgMP, Agile, Scrum, or related professional certification.
• Experience supporting sustaining engineering and product lifecycle management in addition to new product development.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong technical understanding of software and firmware product development.
• Ability to understand technical architecture, dependencies, implementation risks, and integration challenges without serving as the primary software architect.
• Strong program-planning and execution skills.
• Ability to translate high-level product and business objectives into actionable engineering delivery plans.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams, stakeholders, technical dependencies, and competing priorities.
• Strong understanding of regulated product-development practices and documentation requirements.
• Ability to drive accountability while maintaining effective relationships with technical teams and external partners.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate technical and program information clearly to both engineering teams and senior stakeholders.
• Ability to identify issues early and communicate risks proactively.
• Strong attention to detail, particularly around requirements, traceability, release readiness, and regulated documentation.
• Ability to operate effectively within a cross-functional and matrixed engineering organization.

Work Location

This position is based in Oakdale, Minnesota and requires regular collaboration with Software, Firmware, Systems, Electrical, Mechanical, Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Service, Product, and Platform Engineering teams.

About Neogen

Neogen is a global company focused on protecting the world’s food supply. We provide products and solutions that support food safety, animal safety, and related industries, helping customers detect risks, improve quality, and protect both people and animals.

At Neogen, we believe that taking care of our employees allows them to do their best work. When you join our team, you'll enjoy competitive benefits and the opportunity to make a meaningful difference every day.

Benefits Include

• Benefits starting on Day One: Medical, dental, and vision coverage begin on your first day of employment.
• 401(k) with company match: Invest in your future with retirement savings and company contributions.
• Paid Time Off: Enjoy generous paid time off so you can rest, recharge, and spend time with those who matter most.
• Career Growth Opportunities: We are committed to providing employees with the tools, training, and support needed to grow their careers.
• Meaningful Work: Be part of a team whose work has a real impact on customers, communities, and the world around us.
• Collaborative Culture: Join a team that values innovation, respect, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Interested? We’d Like to Hear from You.

If this role sounds like a place where your skills and experience could make an impact, we encourage you to apply. You may have experience that does not fit neatly into every line of a job description. What matters most is whether you can successfully perform the core responsibilities of the role and are interested in contributing to the work ahead.

Equal Opportunity and Accommodation

Neogen is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of applicable pre-employment requirements and verification of identity and authorization to work in the United States.

Come build your future with us while making a difference every day.

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From inside the farm gate to our dinner plates, Neogen protects the world’s food supply. Through a variety of animal healthcare products, to food safety solutions for dangerous bacteria, allergens, toxins, drug residues and much more, Neogen is there — and you can be too.