R&D Project Manager at Abbott Laboratories

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Job Title

R&D Project Manager

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Free medical coverage for employees* via the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO
• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

We are recruiting for a R&D Project Manager to join our team. This is an onsite opportunity in Pleasanton, CA location in the Heart Failure Division. In Abbott’s Heart Failure (HF) business, we’re developing solutions to diagnose, monitor and manage heart failure, allowing people to restore their health and get on with their lives.  

As the R&D Project Manager, you will manage the development and implementation process of company's products and services involving departmental or cross-functional teams focused on the delivery of new or existing products. This position requires natural leadership and a high level of independence, the ability to collect, synthesize, and integrate information from multiple sources, and to resolve conflicting requirements and cross-functional issues.

What You’ll Work On

• Define, plan, coordinate and integrate activities associated with existing products updates or geographic expansion commercialization within the overall business portfolio on time, on budget and on strategy. These activities include coordination of artwork and labeling, in-house and third-party manufacturing, inventory phase in and phase out, procurement and other activities.
• Lead cross-functional teams through project planning exercises to develop detailed schedules and integrated project plans. Utilize project scheduling software to plan and track tasks using tools such as MS Project and JIRA. Work with appropriate staff to understand tasks necessary to complete project.
• Estimates project levels of effort and resource requirements by using standard estimating techniques and tools, and by working with appropriate staff to understand scope of effort.
• Directs project execution by assigning tasks, tracking project schedules, identifying risks, and developing and executing contingency plans.
• Assures project quality by using standard development methodologies and by working with quality engineering team to develop and execute project quality plans.
• Communicates project status by preparing standard status reports, and by participating in departmental and customer project status update meetings.
• Resolves project issues by working with team members, project customers, and others as appropriate.
• Accountable for the total project scope; completion within budget constraints and scheduled completion date. Accountable for the successful completion of project tasks under direct or matrix control. Level loads work to ensure effective use of available resources.
• Consults with internal project groups by sharing project management knowledge and assisting or mentoring more junior project leaders in project management processes and techniques.
• Participates in external project management organizations, conferences and seminars to keep current with industry best practices in project management by joining professional associations and implementing a professional development plan with focus on project management.
• Understands business environment and relates extensive knowledge of internal and external technological activities to trends.
• Interfaces with senior management on significant matters, often requiring the coordination of activity across organizational units.
• Participates in the development of other technical contributors by facilitating training and providing feedback and guidance.
• Provides technical leadership to business units.
• Acts as a mentor to less-experienced staff and may provide work direction or supervise other technical employees.
• Exercises judgment independently.
• Establishes priorities of individual or project assignments. Selects methods and techniques to lead a project to completion.
• Erroneous decisions or recommendations would typically result in failure to achieve major organizational objectives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a discipline appropriate to the project or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Minimum 8 years of related work experience.
• Has successfully led several high complexity projects from beginning to end.
• Demonstrated technical skills and management judgment appropriate to the project.
• Demonstrated expertise in PM tools and processes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in a discipline appropriate to the project or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Lean Six Sigma (LSS) certification.
• Certified Scrum master or Agile project management techniques
• Require process-oriented thinking, focused on continuous improvement and lessons learned; have demonstrated ability to define and implement complex and interdependent business processes.
• Require strong leadership, influencing, and negotiation skills.
• Experience with software development of complex systems including experience with Web applications or App Development Projects/Programs.
• Ideally the incumbent has general knowledge of regulations and standards related to medical devices (eg FDA, ISO, QSR design controls.)
• Experience in Project Management tools such as MS Project or JIRA
• May required to travel up to 10%

Apply Now

* Participants who complete a short wellness assessment qualify for FREE coverage in our HIP PPO medical plan. Free coverage applies in the next calendar year.

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives:  www.abbottbenefits.com

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott, and on X @AbbottNews.

The base pay for this position is $109,300.00 – $218,500.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.