Senior Director, Engineering, R&D

Company: Edwards Lifesciences
Location: East Irvine
Posted on: January 13, 2026

Job Description:

Aortic stenosis impacts millions of people globally, yet it often remains under-diagnosed and under-treated. Edwards’ groundbreaking work in transcatheter aortic heart valve replacement (TAVR) pioneered an innovative, life-changing solution for patients by offering heart valve replacement without the need for open heart surgery. Our Transcatheter Heart Valve (THV) business unit continues to partner with cardiologists and clinical teams to transform patient care with devices supported by clinical evidence. It’s our driving force to help patients live longer and healthier lives. Join us and be part of our inspiring journey. Innovation starts from the heart. At Edwards, we put patients first. We invest a significant proportion of our revenue towards research and development to drive and develop groundbreaking medical innovations for structural heart disease and critical care. As part of our R&D Engineering team, you will work closely with our Quality and Manufacturing teams to develop the latest tools and technologies to address significant, unmet clinical needs that impact patients’ lives around the world. This is an exciting opportunity to provide leadership to a highly talented team of managements & engineers working on new product development for Edwards Life sciences Transcatheter Heart Valve. The Senior Director, Engineering, R&D/NPD plays a key role in leading technical teams and supporting the new product launch strategy through the design, development, and execution of implantable devices in the Transcatheter Heart Valve space. You will make an impact by: Reporting to Vice President of R&D and playing a key role in leading technical teams Planning and directing strategic program activities including prioritizing and selecting appropriate projects with overall responsibility for meeting business objectives. Lead in identifying risk, developing complex mitigation strategies, alternative solutions, resolving issues, etc. in collaboration with cross functional groups Managing subordinate team members and engineering activities with overall responsibility of staffing, planning, budgeting, managing expense priorities, performance management, and working through managers to achieve results Leading cross-functional groups to develop and provide design recommendations that integrate into multiple product lines and/or systems with significant complexity and gain consensus across the organization, developing a robust talent development and succession planning in alignment with functional growth strategies across own organization Defining and leading the implementation of the organizational structure to drive business initiatives and advise and gain buy-in from senior leadership Setting engineering strategy to optimize business processes, define and implement core competencies, by assessing business needs and developing, proposing, and implementing solution options Working across the organization to gain alignment and establish goals and objectives for the team to support the company’s KODs Having successful peer partnerships with other department leaders in Engineering, and cross-functionally (R&D, Clinical, Marketing, regulatory, Quality, etc.) What youll need (Required): Bachelor’s degree in engineering with relevant Engineering experience with some medical device experience OR- Master’s degree in engineering or related field with relevant Engineering experience with some medical device experience Experience by showing a demonstrated track record in leadership skills managing R&D teams with direct reports Experience working in a pharmaceutical or medical device industry is required Strong interpersonal skills and people management skills Displays broad perspective and effective judgment, demonstrates well-reasoned problem solving and decision-making Strong technical knowledge and execution skills What else we look for (Preferred): 15 years of relevant Engineering experience with 10 years in medical device 5 years of experience by showing a demonstrated track record in leadership skills managing R&D teams with direct reports Proven successful project management leadership skills Excellent problem-solving, organizational, analytical, and critical thinking skills including high discretion/judgment in decision making. Excellent documentation and communication skills and interpersonal relationship skills including negotiating and relationship management skills with ability to drive achievement of objectives. Expert understanding of engineering procedures while looking beyond existing methodologies and own discipline to define and resolve complex problems. Knowledge of financial acumen as it relates to the business as well as engineering Demonstrated ability to direct teams and provide coaching and feedback, including responsibility for all employee actions including hire/fire authority and partnering with HR on all aspects of employee relations. Ability to develop and integrate metrics into the projects and operations that clearly demonstrate the value of engineering to the business Ability to work and excel within a fast paced, dynamic, and constantly changing work environment. Conduct business and technical briefings for senior and top management and for external representatives Regularly interacts with executives and/or major customers; interactions frequently involve special skills, such as negotiating with customers or management or attempting to influence senior level leaders regarding matters of significance to the organization Develop peer, cross functional and cross business relationships to maximize best practice sharing and team effectiveness Provide leadership and direction to large cross-functional teams to successfully implement global enterprise systems and related solutions - develop relationships and leverage them to influence change Support and solicit input from team members at all levels within the organization Adhere to all company rules and requirements (e.g., pandemic protocols, Environmental Health & Safety rules) and take adequate control measures in preventing injuries to themselves and others as well as to the protection of environment and prevention of pollution under their span of influence/control Aligning our overall business objectives with performance, we offer competitive salaries, performance-based incentives, and a wide variety of benefits programs to address the diverse individual needs of our employees and their families. For California, the base pay range for this position is $187,000 to $265,000 (highly experienced). The pay for the successful candidate will depend on various factors (e.g., qualifications, education, prior experience). Applications will be accepted while this position is posted on our Careers website.

Keywords: Edwards Lifesciences, Santa Ana , Senior Director, Engineering, R&D, Engineering , East Irvine, California