Sr. Director, Operational Excellence / Quality Lead

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 27 Oct 2025

At Medtronic you can begin a life-long career of exploration and innovation, while helping champion healthcare access and equity for all. You’ll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation in a more connected, compassionate world.

A Day in the Life Medtronic has declared its bold ambition to become the global healthcare technology leader. By doing so, we seek to reach more patients in more meaningful ways, more quickly. Are you looking to develop capabilities and competencies in Operational Excellence (OpEx) for a leader in the Medical Technology industry?

As Sr. Director, Operational Excellence / Quality Lead, you will play a key role in enabling the enterprise evolution of the Medtronic Performance System (MPS). In this role, you will own operational excellence processes, people, and results in driving change across our global Quality and Development organization. You will collaborate closely with function heads to establish MPS as a strategic enabler to operational excellence and improved business results.

You will be at the forefront of Medtronic’s Mission to Alleviate Pain, Restore Health, and Extend Life by ingraining continuous improvement and change management skills, along with operational excellence competencies within our teams.

As Sr. Director, Operational Excellence / Quality Lead, you will

Facilitate strategic kaizen events with executive leadership teams.

Establish high-level strategies aligned to business objectives, with a clear roadmap of transformation initiatives tailored for the function(s).

Develop a robust and effective system to capture relevant data that supports informed, data-driven decision-making.

Collaborate with functional leaders to execute annual development plans to improve business results and operational excellence effectiveness within the global Quality and Development organization.

Identify organizational needs required to achieve strategic plans. Develop and execute plans that deliver annual improvements in performance, process excellence, and programmatic savings. Foster a sustainable culture of innovation and continuous improvement to drive year-over-year gains.

Partner with senior leaders and functional subject matter experts to build and assess organizational MPS capabilities to groom “one best way” methods and tools with a specific focus on simplifying complex processes.

Develop and govern scorecards that include quantitative and qualitative assessments of OpEx effectiveness within functions.

Manage team performance, develop talent, promote engagement and inclusion, and direct the team's responsibilities.

Must Have : Minimum Requirements Bachelor’s Degree and 15 years of experience in two or more functions, such as quality, engineering, product development, strategy, manufacturing, business operations as well as operational excellence roles (TPM, DBS, etc.) or an advanced degree with 13 years of experience in two or more functions, such as quality, engineering, product development, strategy, manufacturing, business operations as well as operational excellence roles (TPM, DBS, etc.)

Certified : Lean Six Sigma Black Belt or equivalent

Deep exposure and knowledge of Quality organizations in a matrixed environment with 5+ years of Quality leadership experience.

Knowledge of FDA-regulated industries, preferably the medical device industry.

Nice to Have Experience implementing a new program and evolving it from an immature to a mature program with adoption and practical application across multiple functional domains

Strong background in holistic operational excellence structures (TPM, BPM, DBS, TPS, etc.) and the associated tools / techniques

Experience shaping business strategy, developing plans, analyzing data, and aligning goals to achieve business objectives

Ability to convey and communicate complex concepts clearly and concisely.

Dynamic and engaging executive-level facilitation / training skills.

Strong coaching and influential leadership skills

Advanced change management skills.

Physical Job Requirements The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position, but they are not an exhaustive list of all the required responsibilities and skills of this position.

The physical demands described within the Responsibilities section of this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. For Office Roles : While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to be independently mobile. The employee is also required to interact with a computer, and communicate with peers and co-workers. Contact your manager or local HR to understand the Work Conditions and Physical requirements that may be specific to each role.

Benefits & Compensation Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package

A commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values. We recognize their contributions. They share in the success they help to create. We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.

Salary ranges for U.S (excl. PR) locations (USD) : $213,600.00 - $320,400.00 This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP). This position is eligible for an annual long-term incentive plan. The base salary range is applicable across the United States, excluding Puerto Rico and specific locations in California. The offered rate complies with federal and local regulations and may vary based on factors such as experience, certification / education, market conditions, and location. Compensation and benefits information pertains solely to candidates hired within the United States (local market compensation and benefits will apply for others).

The following benefits and additional compensation are available to those regular employees who work 20+ hours per week : Health, Dental and vision insurance , Health Savings Account , Healthcare Flexible Spending Account , Life insurance, Long-term disability leave , Dependent daycare spending account , Tuition assistance / reimbursement , and Simple Steps (global well-being program).

The following benefits and additional compensation are available to all regular employees : Incentive plans, 401(k) plan plus employer contribution and match , Short-term disability , Paid time off , Paid holidays , Employee Stock Purchase Plan , Employee Assistance Program , Non-qualified Retirement Plan Supplement (subject to IRS earning minimums) , and Capital Accumulation Plan (available to Vice Presidents and above, or subject to IRS earning minimums).

Regular employees are those who are not temporary, such as interns. Temporary employees are eligible for paid sick time, as required under applicable state law, and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Please note some of the above benefits may not apply to workers in Puerto Rico.

Further details are available at the link below :

Medtronic benefits and compensation plans

About Medtronic We lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions. Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 95,000+ passionate people. We are engineers at heart— putting ambitious ideas to work to generate real solutions for real people. From the R&D lab, to the factory floor, to the conference room, every one of us experiments, creates, builds, improves and solves. We have the talent, diverse perspectives, and guts to engineer the extraordinary.

Learn more about our business, mission, and our commitment to diversity here.

It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and / or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

If you are applying to perform work for Medtronic, Inc. (“Medtronic”) in any position which will involve performing at least two (2) hours of work on average each week within the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, you can find here a list of all material job duties of the specific job position which Medtronic reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. Medtronic will consider for employment qualified job applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

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