Principal Program Manager - Acute Care Software

Werfen
- Bedford - 180 Hartwell Road Bedford, Massachusetts 01730 United States

Country

United States

Shift

1st

Werfen

Werfen is a growing, family-owned, innovative company founded in 1966 in Barcelona, Spain. We are a worldwide leader in specialized diagnostics in the areas of Hemostasis, Acute Care Diagnostics, Transfusion, Autoimmunity, and Transplant. Through our Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) business line, we research, develop, and manufacture customized assays and biomaterials. We operate directly in 30 countries, and in more than 100 territories through distributors.

Our Headquarters and Technology Centers are located in the US and Europe, and our workforce is more than 7,000 strong.

Our success comes from a specific focus in these rapidly evolving diagnostic areas, our commitment to customers, and our dedication to innovation and quality. We’re passionate about providing healthcare professionals the most valuable and complete solutions to improve hospital efficiency and enhance patient care.

Position Summary:

Principal Software Program Manager provides strategic leadership for the planning, execution, and delivery of complex software development programs within the medical device space that are critical to business success. This senior leadership role oversees a portfolio of software initiatives, manages and mentors Program Managers, and partners with executive leadership to align technology investments with organizational goals. The Principal Software Program Manager drives operational excellence, establishes program management best practices, and ensures successful delivery of high-quality software products across multiple teams and product lines while maintaining compliance with regulatory bodies.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Program Leadership

• Lead large-scale, cross-functional software programs from concept through commercial release and lifecycle support.
• Develop and execute program strategies that align with corporate objectives, product roadmaps, and customer needs.
• Drive portfolio planning, prioritization, and execution across multiple concurrent software programs.
• Ensure alignment between engineering, product management, quality, regulatory, operations, and commercial teams.

People Leadership and Team Development

• Directly manage, mentor, and develop a team of Software Program Managers and Project Managers.
• Create career development and succession plans for program management team members.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and operational excellence.
• Recruit, onboard, and retain top program management talent.

Program Execution

• Oversee development and maintenance of integrated program plans, schedules, budgets, and resource forecasts.
• Manage cross-program dependencies, risks, issues, and escalation pathways.
• Ensure software development activities meet quality, security, regulatory, and business requirements.
• Drive successful execution of Agile, Scrum, SAFe, or hybrid development methodologies.
• Monitor program performance, proactively addressing schedule, budget, scope, or resource challenges.

Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary interface between executive leadership and program teams.
• Present program status, risks, mitigation plans, and strategic recommendations to senior executives.
• Build strong partnerships across engineering, product management, quality, operations, and external stakeholders.

Minimum Knowledge & Experience Required for the Position:

• BS in STEM field (engineering, chemistry, physics, etc.), MS/MBA preferred
• Additional course work in accounting, business economics, strategy development, resource management and project management is desired
• At least 10 years of experience, preferably in product development with at least 7 years of successful technical leadership, project coordination, or project management are required
• Experience in the development and release of at least one successful product launch of a medical instrumentation product is desirable
• Certification in program management is preferred
• Full and comprehensive knowledge of the complete product lifecycle, including all aspects of product development from conception to manufacturing introduction

Skills & Capabilities:

• Strategic thinking
• Leadership
• Functional/technical skills
• Analytical Skills
• Problem-solvingng, conflict management, listening, managing and measuring work
• Strong project management…