VP, Engineering and Quality

The VP, Engineering & Quality is an enterprise leadership role responsible for global product innovation, value engineering, and end-to-end quality governance across the PPE portfolio. The role integrates Global R&D and Global Quality to ensure product strategy, regulatory compliance, and execution are aligned with business and customer needs. It provides strategic leadership for new product development, cost and value engineering, and sustaining engineering, while overseeing quality systems, regulatory compliance, and product quality across regions. The role leads a global R&D organization of approximately 90 associates and partners closely with regional Quality leadership, including executive sponsorship of ISO certifications and enterprise quality platforms such as Teamcenter.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Global R&D and Engineering Leadership

• Define and execute the global R&D strategy aligned to global growth priorities, product line strategies, and long‑term technology roadmaps.
• Lead global new product introduction (NPI) initiatives from concept through commercialization, ensuring speed‑to‑market, technical rigor, and regulatory readiness.
• Oversee cost and value engineering initiatives to improve margin, manufacturability, and supply resilience without compromising safety, quality, or compliance.
• Ensure effective portfolio governance, prioritization, and resource allocation across multiple product families and geographies.
• Partner with Product Management, Operations, Supply Chain, Sales, and Marketing to translate market needs and customer insights into differentiated product solutions.
• Establish common engineering standards, processes, and design controls to drive consistency, scalability, and disciplined execution across regions.
• Develop and mentor senior technical leaders and managers, building a high‑performing, globally connected R&D organization.

Global Quality and Regulatory Oversight

• Provide executive oversight for end‑to‑end quality across the product lifecycle, including supplier quality, manufacturing quality, and customer quality.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory and certification requirements for PPE products across global markets.
• Partner with regional Quality leaders to drive consistent application of quality standards while respecting regional and local regulatory and operational needs.
• Sponsor and govern the enterprise Quality Management System (QMS), including ISO certification strategy, audits, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Oversee the Quality Center of Excellence, including global standards, procedures, training, and audit readiness.
• Ensure effective management and utilization of Teamcenter and related systems for product data, certifications, change management, and compliance tracking.
• Lead responses to significant quality events, regulatory inquiries, customer escalations, and audit findings, ensuring timely containment and sustainable corrective actions.

Enterprise Leadership and Governance

• Establish strong governance models, KPIs, and operating rhythms across R&D and Quality to ensure transparency, accountability, and performance.
• Drive a culture of safety, quality, innovation, and continuous improvement across global teams.
• Support mergers, acquisitions, integrations, and footprint changes by ensuring product, engineering, and quality risks are proactively assessed and mitigated.
• Act as an executive liaison with external partners, suppliers, testing bodies, and certification agencies.

Organizational Relationships

• Leads global R&D teams across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.
• Solid‑line reporting relationship with the North America Quality Leader.
• Dotted‑line collaboration with regional Quality leaders outside North America.
• Works closely with Product Management, Operations, Supply Chain, Regulatory Affairs, and Commercial leadership.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in global R&D, engineering, and/or quality within regulated manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading global, multi‑site technical organizations.
• Deep understanding of product development, design controls, and regulatory compliance for safety‑critical products.
• Strong working knowledge of quality management systems (ISO 9001 and related standards) and regulatory certification processes.
• Proven ability to balance innovation, speed, cost, and quality in complex, matrixed organizations.

PREFERRED SKILLS

• Prior experience in PPE, safety equipment, medical devices, or similarly regulated industries.
• Certification or prior training in Lean and/or Six Sigma.
• Track record of leading cost and value engineering initiatives at scale.
• Experience supporting global manufacturing and supplier networks.

Compensation: $200,000-270,000