Sr. Manager, ULT Product Development

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Office

Job Description

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies, or increasing productivity in their laboratories, we are here to support them.

DESCRIPTION:

As Sr. Manager, R&D – ULT Product Development, you will lead the design and development of Ultra Low Temperature (ULT) Freezers serving laboratory, clinical, and medical device markets. You will manage a multidisciplinary design team responsible for refrigeration systems, mechanical design, and control systems integration, guiding products from concept through commercialization.

In this highly visible leadership role, you will ensure products meet customer needs, regulatory requirements, and business objectives, while advancing innovation through structured Technology Readiness Level (TRL) development and disciplined New Product Development (NPD) execution. Your work will directly influence product quality, compliance readiness, speed to market, and long-term platform sustainability.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Technical & Program Leadership

• Lead and manage the ULT Product Development team supporting new platforms, technology insertions, and sustaining engineering initiatives.
• Own product design execution from concept through design transfer, ensuring alignment with customer requirements, regulatory expectations, and manufacturing readiness.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership in refrigeration systems, mechanical design, and controls integration for complex electromechanical products.
• Drive TRL maturation of innovative technologies and solutions prior to NPD introduction.

Design Control & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure adherence to ISO 13485 design control processes, including design planning, risk management, verification, validation, and design transfer.
• Oversee creation and maintenance of Design History Files (DHF), design specifications, drawings, and technical documentation throughout the product lifecycle.
• Lead and facilitate design reviews, DFMEA, risk assessments, and product safety evaluations.
• Support product approval strategies, including test methods, acceptance criteria, and compliance to applicable standards (e.g., UL, IEC, FDA, Energy Star).

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Product Management, Quality, Regulatory, Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, and PMO throughout the NPD process.
• Support product road-mapping activities by translating customer and market needs into actionable technical strategies.
• Collaborate with global manufacturing sites to ensure robust design transfer and production scalability.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Establish and sustain standard work, design best practices, and common engineering processes.
• Apply Lean, PPI, VAVE, simulation, and rapid prototyping tools to accelerate development and improve value.
• Foster a strong safety culture and continuous improvement mindset across the team.

People Leadership

• Recruit, develop, and mentor engineers, building technical depth and leadership capability within the team.
• Set clear performance expectations and support career development through coaching and feedback.
• Balance strategic planning with hands-on technical engagement to deliver results.
• Travel: Up to 10% domestic with limited international travel.

REQUIREMENTS:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mechatronics, computer engineering, or related technical discipline
• Master’s degree preferred

Experience

• 10+ years of product development experience with complex electromechanical systems, preferably refrigeration or thermal systems
• 3+ years of people management or senior technical leadership experience
• Experience developing ULT, HVAC/R, or temperature-controlled systems strongly preferred
• Experience in regulated product development environments (medical device, laboratory equipment, or life sciences)
• Demonstrated experience applying ISO 13485 design controls
• Hands-on experience with PLM systems, change management, and design transfer
• Experience managing project budgets, schedules, and resource planning
• Familiarity with Lean, PPI, or continuous improvement methodologies

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong technical foundation in refrigeration systems, mechanical design, and control systems integration
• Ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business and customer value
• Proven leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Strong problem-solving mindset with data-driven decision making
• Ability to manage multiple programs in a fast-paced, matrixed environment
• Experience facilitating design reviews, risk assessments, and technical trade studies
• Commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence