Director, Sustaining Research & Development

About Convatec

Pioneering trusted medical solutions to improve the lives we touch: Convatec is a global medical products and technologies company focused on solutions for the management of chronic conditions with leading positions in Advanced Wound Care Ostomy Care Continence Care and Infusion Care. With more than 10000 colleagues we provide our products and services in around 90 countries united by a promise to be forever caring. Our solutions provide a range of benefits from infection prevention and protection of at-risk skin to improved patient outcomes and reduced care costs. Convatecs revenues in 2024 were over $2 billion. The company is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index (LSE:CTEC). To learn more please visit

Director Sustaining Research and Development

Position Overview:

The Director Sustaining Research & Development is a senior leader within the Ostomy Care Research and Development team accountable for a wide portfolio of projects aimed at sustaining the vitality of the Ostomy Care portfolio through product line extensions and design improvements maintaining quality driving cost and efficiency optimizations and improving resilience. The scope encompasses all Convatec Ostomy Cares on-market pouching systems and accessories as well as the Flexi-Seal fecal management system.

This individual is charged with building and managing an effective team responsible for product design and verification/validation in compliance with medical device design controls. As the line manager for the Ostomy Care Lifecycle Management team the Director Sustaining R&D develops and drives a talent strategy defines performance expectations and ways of working allocates resources and guides the team to deliver on a sizeable project portfolio.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead a team to deliver on a portfolio of projects aimed at sustaining the on-market Ostomy Care product range including: - raw material changes and qualifications driven by discontinuation cost reduction or supply chain resilience strategy; - maintenance or remediation of technical documentation for regulatory compliance; - Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPAs) relating to product design; - product or packaging design changes to improve usability maintain quality or reduce cost; - new or improved test method development; - extending product ranges to fill critical portfolio gaps; and supporting design transfer of new products into plant operations (NPI).
• Lead a team to provide in-market support of existing products by supporting design complaint investigations and customer inquiries regarding product composition.
• Evaluate new projects resource requirements; estimate realistic times to completion.
• Prioritize resource deployment in alignment with stakeholders priorities and overall business impacts.
• Represent Technology & Innovation for Ostomy Care in the change control (CCR) and CAPA processes.
• Develop communicate and hold the team accountable to high standards of timeliness and quality of work.
• Develop annual budgets and talent strategies and manage within them.
• Develop clear and concise reporting of the teams activities priorities and project statuses and develop a cadence of regular communication to stakeholders.
• Ensure all required feasibility work analysis validation testing and trials are performed on time and to the required Quality and Regulatory standards as well as in line with Convatec procedures and processes.
• Maintain a working technical knowledge of a broad range of manufacturing processes and materials areas relevant to the Ostomy Care product range.
• Ensure project activities are carried out within a Design Controls Framework in accordance with ISO 13485 & 21CFR820 Quality Systems.
• Actively partner influence advocate and engage the wider business functions such as Regulatory Affairs Clinical Marketing Quality and Operations etc. at both peer and senior level to enable the effective delivery of projects.
• Maintain compliance with company Health and Safety policies and ensure that direct reports are compliant.
• Ensure that Quality standards are maintained via compliance with systems and SOPs particularly in relation to Design Control.
• To ensure compliance with the legislative and internal requirements of the EHS and to participate in the fulfilment of the companys targets in the EHS area.

Skills & Experience:

• In-depth demonstrable knowledge of medical device design controls in accordance with applicable regulations.
• Broad understanding and appreciation of all key project functions such as technical (regulatory quality manufacturing clinical) and commercial.
• Experience with the ostomy market is preferred.
• Strong track record of product development leadership delivering new products from concept to market by leading cross functional teams.
• Excellent communicator and strategic thinker combined with a bias for flawless execution.
• Ability to lead in a matrix structure influence and build strong relationships.
• Demonstrate leadership style that will build develop and coach the cross functional teams in line with Convatec High Performing Team principles.

Qualifications/Education:

• Minimum of 10 years of medical device industry experience including at least 5 years of technical management/leadership responsibilities.
• Degree in a Scientific or Engineering discipline (advanced degree preferred).
• Working understanding of the ISO 13485 and 14971 standards and FDA regulations for design controls.

This is a hybrid role linked to our office in Deeside UK Haina Dominican Republic or Michalovce Slovakia. This position will require travel up top 20% of the time.

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Convatec provides equal employment opportunities for all current employees and applicants for employment. This policy means that no one will be discriminated against because of race religion creed color national origin nationality citizenship ancestry sex age marital status physical or mental disability affectional or sexual orientation gender identity military or veteran status genetic predisposing characteristics or any other basis prohibited by law.

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