Director, R&D Operations

Director, R&D Operations

Date: Mar 3, 2026

Location: Lakewood, CO, US

Requisition : 34706

At Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies, our 8,000+ global associates proud to come to work each day, knowing that what we do impacts the lives of patients around the world.
For Terumo, for Everyone, Everywhere.

We make medical devices and related products that are used to collect, separate, manufacture and process various components of blood and cells. With our innovative technologies and service offerings, we touch a patient’s life every second of every day and are committed to continuing to increase the number of patients we serve.
Advancing healthcare with heart.

With some of the best and brightest minds in the industry, an unmatched global footprint, comprehensive benefits and a distinct culture, Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies is a great place to work, grow and be part of a team that is focused on making a difference.
Join us and help shape wherever we go next. You create your future and ours.

The Director of R&D Operations is a strategic technical leader responsible for ensuring products and processes are designed for world‑class manufacturability, quality, and operational performance. This role drives integration of Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and Design to Cost (DTC) principles across the full product lifecycle and product portfolio. Beyond traditional DFM roles, the Director of R&D Operations also oversees pharmaceutical development, and global R&D laboratory operations ensuring disciplined test strategies are executed supporting the manufacturability and quality of current and future products.

This leader partners closely with R&D, Quality, Supply Chain, and Operations to identify risks early and to optimize both design transfer to manufacturing and improvement to on‑market products. Provides strategic direction to projects aimed at increasing market share, reducing cost, driving product quality, continuously expanding R&D’s capabilities. Develops objectives, plans, and strategies to ensure effective achievement of business objectives as prioritized by Business Areas and Operations.

Uses Lean Principles to reduce rework and optimize R&D Operations. Duties also include budget responsibility and leadership roles across various teams and initiatives within the organization.

• Drive collaboration with Operations and Supply Chain to improve the manufacturability of products across the lifecycle
• Uses lean principles to reduce departmental costs and increase value generation.
• Sets strategic direction and ensures execution of lean laboratories operations
• Sets strategic direction and ensures lean execution of pharmaceutical development and lifecycle management
• Set strategic direction and ensures execution of R&D stability program
• Acts as R&D’s Data Czar driving excellence in data integrity, data generation, data analysis, and data based decision making
• Manages direct report project leaders, technical supervisors, scientists, and engineers across multiple sites.
• Leads a cross-functional Product Development team whose members are both direct reports and other associates, both technical and business oriented, from departments across the company.
• Participates in the short- and long-term planning process that establishes technical objectives for a business unit project or functional group.
• Evaluates proposed solutions, adaptations, and modifications to products used globally through technical and managerial expertise.
• Works across diverse regional and functional boundaries to promote collaboration and teamwork.
• Works closely with applicable Business Areas and Operations to establish development priorities and milestones.
• Responsible for creating and tracking the budget including project cost estimation, staffing, and timelines. Accountable for schedule and budget accomplishment.
• Communicates on all levels with senior management, including technical, strategic, and business.

• B.S. degree in Science or Engineering required.

• Minimum of 20 years’ medical device and pharmaceutical industry.
• Minimum 10 years’ progressive management…