Senior Manager, Design Quality

The Senior Manager, Design Quality is accountable for both the execution and governance of design quality and development excellence across the product lifecycle, from user needs and design inputs through design transfer and ongoing post‑market performance. This role ensures that design intent, risk controls, usability requirements, and verification and validation (V&V) strategies are appropriately defined, rigorously executed by programs, and sustained to enable high‑quality, compliant product launches. This role integrates post‑market feedback, field performance data, and reliability insights into design quality strategies to drive continuous product improvement, risk reduction, and prevention of recurrence. 

As a people manager, the Senior Manager, Design Quality leads and develops a team of design quality engineers and partners closely with R&D, Clinical, Regulatory, Product Management, and other Product Quality functions to ensure products are safe, effective, reliable, and inspection‑ready throughout their lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Defines and executes an end‑to‑end product lifecycle design quality strategy, ensuring alignment from development through commercialization and ongoing post‑market performance
• Accountable for assuring end‑to‑end design control activities are effectively executed by programs, including traceability from user needs through verification and validation
• Responsible for design risk management and assurance that usability engineering activities are appropriately applied and effective in accordance with applicable standards (e.g., ISO 14971, IEC 62366)
• Ensures Design History Files (DHF) demonstrate completeness, accuracy, and readiness to support high‑quality product launches and inspections
• Accountable for assuring the effectiveness and adequacy of design verification and validation (V&V) activities by reviewing and approving strategies, protocols, and reports
• Confirms statistical rationale, sample sizes, and coverage of design and user requirements are appropriate to demonstrate product performance and intended use
• Assures objective evidence is sufficient to verify all design risk controls and support a high‑quality, compliant product launch
• Provides oversight and challenge to program teams to ensure V&V findings, design evaluations, root cause analyses, and regression testing results are appropriately addressed
• Owns and drives product quality improvement projects to address post‑market feedback, field issues, and emerging risk signals
• Partners with Customer Quality, Manufacturing Quality, Supplier Quality, and R&D to translate field data, complaints, and reliability insights into prioritized design improvements
• Leads root cause analysis and cross‑functional countermeasure implementation to prevent recurrence and improve product performance across the lifecycle
• Partners with Regulatory and Clinical teams to support regulatory submissions and inspections
• Provides subject‑matter expertise for design controls, V&V, and risk management during audits
• Partners closely with R&D, Clinical, Regulatory, Product, Manufacturing Quality, and Supplier Quality teams to enable compliant, on‑time product launches
• Promotes advanced quality engineering practices and a culture of quality excellence and continuous improvement
• Directly leads, coaches, and develops a team of design quality engineering professionals
• Sets clear performance expectations, provides regular feedback, and supports technical skill development
• Fosters a culture of accountability, technical rigor, and continuous improvement

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s in Engineering, Science, or related field; advanced degree (MS, MBA) preferred.
• 12+ years in medical device quality/engineering across the product lifecycle (design controls, supplier quality, manufacturing quality, customer quality), with 7+ years managing people and managers.
• Direct experience preparing for/hosting FDA, Notified Body, and other health authority inspections; strong understanding of regulatory submissions and technical documentation expectations.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Competencies

• Global device QMS & regulations: expert knowledge of ISO 13485; ISO 14971 risk management; ISO/TR 20416 post market surveillance; IEC 62366‑1 usability engineering; and regional regulations including FDA 21 CFR Part 820 (QMSR), 21 CFR 803/806, and EU MDR 2017/745.
• Demonstrated ability to connect design requirements and risk controls to V&V plans, supplier requirements/capabilities, manufacturing controls, and post market performance—with strong requirement traceability discipline.
• Advanced competency in statistics for quality: sampling plans, process capability (Cp/Cpk, Pp/Ppk), SPC, reliability methods, and trend/signal detection.
• Deep experience with design controls, risk files, DHF/DMR/Technical Documentation, process validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), and change control across internal and external manufacturing.
• Business acumen and executive communication; able to translate complex quality/risk topics into clear recommendations and influence across R&D, Operations, Clinical, and Regulatory functions.
• Technology fluency with eQMS, PLM, and requirements management tools
• Advanced leadership skills to prioritize team capability building, optimize staffing investments, and inspire teams in alignment with business priorities.
• Consistently gathers voice of customer at gemba to ensure customer problems are prioritized and solved.
• Challenges the status quo and coaches others to take a stand in support of the organization’s purpose.
• Fosters a culture of experimentation and challenges others to develop breakthrough solutions.
• Models collaboration and ensures cross‑functional prioritization to support organizational vision and strategy.
• Demonstrates urgency and ownership to consistently deliver on objectives using FBS.

Working Conditions

• Travel up to 25–30%, domestic and international.
• Work may occur in office, lab, manufacturing, and supplier environments; ability to use appropriate PPE and comply with site‑specific EHS requirements.
• Typical office activities include extended periods of sitting/standing, keyboard use, and frequent communication.
• Lifting up to 25 lbs occasionally; occasional walking/standing on manufacturing floors.
• Schedule may periodically require coverage across global time zones.

Fortive Corporation Overview

Fortive’s essential technology makes the world stronger, safer, and smarter. We accelerate transformation across a broad range of applications including environmental, health and safety compliance, industrial condition monitoring, next-generation product design, and healthcare safety solutions.

We are a global industrial technology innovator with a startup spirit. Our forward-looking companies lead the way in software-powered workflow solutions, data-driven intelligence, AI-powered automation, and other disruptive technologies. We’re a force for progress, working alongside our customers and partners to solve challenges on a global scale, from workplace safety in the most demanding conditions to groundbreaking sustainability solutions.

We are a diverse team 18,000 strong, united by a dynamic, inclusive culture and energized by limitless learning and growth. We use the proven Fortive Business System (FBS) to accelerate our positive impact. 

At Fortive, we believe in you. We believe in your potential—your ability to learn, grow, and make a difference. 

At Fortive, we believe in us. We believe in the power of people working together to solve problems no one could solve alone. 

At Fortive, we believe in growth. We’re honest about what’s working and what isn’t, and we never stop improving and innovating.

Fortive: For you, for us, for growth.