Esophageal Franchise Leader - Core Team Leader

Careers that change lives start here. Medtronic is a global leader in healthcare technology with a Mission to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. Our 95,000 employees work across more than 150 countries to put patients first — developing innovative medical technologies that improve the lives of 72+ million patients each year. Your unique talents will help shape the future of healthcare while building a career grounded in purpose, growth, and impact.

A Day in the Life

The Endoscopy Operating Unit develops technologies that support the diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. Within the Esophageal portfolio, this role provides strategic leadership across a portfolio of product development programs that contribute to a significant global business. The position partners across Research & Development, Marketing, Clinical, Regulatory, Quality, Operations, and Commercial teams to deliver solutions that address clinician and patient needs while advancing the Endoscopy business strategy.

This role can be located in Lafayette, Colorado or Mounds View, Minnesota. This is an onsite role requiring regular in-person collaboration with cross-functional teams, business leaders, and development partners. Travel is required to support portfolio reviews, customer engagements, and industry events.

The Esophageal Franchise Leader (Core Team Leader - CTL) is accountable for delivering integrated portfolio, program, and project leadership across the Esophageal franchise. This leader is responsible for driving decision-making, execution, and business outcomes across multiple development programs while ensuring alignment to the broader Endoscopy strategy. The role serves as a strategic partner to franchise, commercial, and functional leaders and is accountable for building high-performing cross-functional teams capable of delivering reliable, commercially successful solutions. Reporting to the Vice President of Research & Development, this leader provides direction across the franchise portfolio while leading a small team of project management professionals.

Primary Responsibilities

Business Leadership

• Act as a strategic partner to franchise marketing leadership, product development leadership, and cross-functional leadership teams.
• Own the portfolio, program, and project roadmap, including strategic planning and annual operating plan activities.
• Lead active franchise management through portfolio optimization, value alignment, business goal alignment, and program prioritization.
• Facilitate franchise decision-making within delegated authority and governance processes.
• Serve as the primary point of accountability for Core Team communications with executive sponsors and key stakeholders.
• Build trust across functions while ensuring decisions are made at the appropriate level with clear ownership, timing, and accountability.
• Lead through influence, sound judgment, and strategic thinking in an environment with competing priorities and ambiguity.

Program Leadership

• Accountable for the formation of high-performance, cross-functional Core Teams.
• Create clarity across functions and maintain alignment to the business case.
• Ensure Core Teams are focused on predictable execution through rigorous planning and management of scope, cost, schedule, resources, risk, and quality.
• Provide leadership on key project decisions, including change control, development trade-offs, and escalated issue resolution.
• Champion resource management discussions with functional organizations to ensure Core Teams are staffed for success.
• Ensure Core Teams achieve contracted commitments and performance metrics.
• Lead development and execution of commercialization plans and product releases across global markets.
• Ensure reliability, manufacturability, quality, risk, and Design, Reliability, and Manufacturability (DRM) objectives are established, tracked, and addressed throughout development.

Customer Focus and Market Awareness

• Maintain familiarity with global market needs through regular customer engagement and partnership with Marketing teams.
• Participate in customer visits, sales ride-alongs, regional marketing activities, industry conferences, trade shows, and professional seminars.
• Monitor market trends, competitive dynamics, and emerging opportunities to inform portfolio and development strategies.

Talent Development Leadership

• Leverage the strengths of Core Team members through clear role definition and development opportunities.
• Mentor and coach Core Team members in partnership with functional leadership to develop a sustainable pipeline of talent.
• Foster an empowered culture that encourages critical thinking, accountability, decision-making, and continuous development.
• Serve as a key member of the Research & Development leadership team.
• Lead and develop a small team of project management professionals.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of experience leading cross-functional project teams and 10+ years of leadership experience OR Advanced degree with 8+ years of experience leading cross-functional project teams and 10+ years of leadership experience.
• Experience leading complex product development programs and portfolios within a global matrix organization.
• Experience managing portfolio governance, strategic planning, budgets, resource allocation, and program execution.
• Experience influencing senior leaders, driving decisions without direct authority, and delivering measurable business outcomes through others.
• Experience leading teams, developing talent, and driving performance across cross-functional organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Medical device industry experience, including new product development, Design, Reliability, and Manufacturability (DRM), quality systems, clinical research, and regulatory submissions.
• Master's degree or Master of Business Administration (MBA).
• Experience with portfolio management, platform programs, multi-business-unit products, global commercialization, or external partnerships.
• Experience developing products or solutions for physicians and healthcare providers.
• Knowledge of patient safety, clinical research, strategic planning, U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements, and global regulatory frameworks.

For Baccalaureate degrees earned outside of the United States, a degree that satisfies the requirements of 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(h)(4)(iii)(A) is required.

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.

U.S. Work Authorization & Sponsorship

At Medtronic, we are committed to fostering an environment where employees can thrive and make a meaningful impact. In alignment with our enterprise-wide workforce planning approach, U.S. work authorization sponsorship (H-1B, TN, J, etc.) is offered exclusively for Principal-level roles and above, where specialized expertise aligns with long-term business needs. Roles below the Principal level require candidates to possess unrestricted U.S. work authorization at the time of hire and for the duration of employment.

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Apply only through official Medtronic channels. All legitimate Medtronic recruiting communications come from approved Medtronic platforms and official @medtronic.com email addresses. 

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If you have any questions, concerns regarding the authenticity of a communication alleged to have been made by or on behalf of Medtronic, please contact us immediately at [email protected]. 

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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):$201,600.00 - $302,400.00

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This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP).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, andSimple 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), andCapital 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

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.