R&D Manager, Project Management, Sustaining

About the role

R&D Manager, PMO Sustaining - Advanced Surgical Growth is our focus at CONMED, and we know that innovation and strong foundations are key to growth and our success! We believe in the power of engaged talent on our teams. If you have a growth-mindset and want to be a part of a high performing team, consider applying to join CONMED as a R&D Manager of PMO Sustaining.

This position is a critical leadership role within the Advanced Surgical division's R&D organization, based in Denver, CO. This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days per week onsite. The Manager leads portfolio governance and owns project execution for sustaining projects partnering across cross functional groups to improve execution predictability, manage risk, and deliver business and patient impact.

Advanced Surgical products include: Access and insufflation systems Energy systems Smoke management systems Laparoscopic surgical instruments

Responsibilities

• Portfolio Leadership & Governance: Lead the Advanced Surgical sustaining portfolio.
• Establish clear priorities, decision points, and governance expectations aligned with business objectives.
• Project Execution: Guide project managers and cross-functional teams in defining scope, schedules, budgets, milestones, deliverables, and success criteria.

• Ensure disciplined execution to approved timelines, maintain accountability for commitments and deliverables, and uphold quality and compliance requirements.
• Project Review Board Leadership: Lead Project Review Board meetings, portfolio reviews, and executive updates.
• Clearly communicate project metrics, risks, tradeoffs, resource needs, and required decisions.

• Risk Management: Promote proactive identification, documentation, mitigation, and escalation of project, technical, supply, regulatory, and execution risks.
• Resource & Capacity Planning: Develop and maintain resource waterline views, capacity models, and staffing recommendations across sustaining work.
• Partner with functional leaders to resolve constraints and align resources to priority work.

Budget Management: Own the Advanced Surgical sustaining portfolio budget, including annual planning, forecasting, contractor management, capital investments, and cost improvement initiatives. Provide financial oversight through budget tracking, variance analysis, reporting, and proactive recommendations to support strategic business decisions and portfolio execution.

PMO Systems & Process Improvement: Improve and maintain project management standards, templates, intake processes, dashboards, metrics, and portfolio tools, including Smartsheet-based solutions. Regulatory & Compliance Programs: Support delivery of regulatory, quality, remediation, and other sustaining initiatives in accordance with applicable quality system and design control requirements.

Service & Cost Programs: Support delivery of service and cost related sustaining initiatives in accordance with applicable quality system and design control requirements. Operations Alignment: Partner closely with Operations to align sustaining portfolio priorities, project plans, resource needs, implementation timing, and readiness activities.

Ensure operational constraints and dependencies are incorporated into decisions, risks are escalated proactively, and cross-functional commitments support successful execution and implementation. Stakeholder Management: Build alignment across R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Operations, Marketing, Finance, and other business partners. Communicate complex portfolio information clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

• People Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop a team of project management professionals.
• Set clear expectations, strengthen accountability, support professional development, and foster a collaborative, high-performing culture.
• Job Complexity and Supervision: Reports directly to the Head of PMO.

Works on complex portfolio and organizational issues where analysis requires an in-depth evaluation of technical, business, regulatory, resource, and financial factors. Exercises judgment in selecting methods, priorities, and evaluation criteria to achieve results.

Operates with significant autonomy, determines methods and procedures for new assignments, influences cross-functional leaders, and makes recommendations that affect portfolio priorities and resource allocation. Directly manages project management professionals and may lead project teams, contractors, and cross-functional workstreams through influence.

This role requires a strategic, collaborative, and driven leader who can translate business priorities into executable plans, build alignment across functions, and deliver results in a regulated, fast-paced environment. If you enjoy developing people, improving systems, and leading a diverse portfolio of high-impact initiatives, we invite you to apply for consideration!

Required Qualifications

6+ years of engineering and/or project management experience required, or demonstrated equivalent experience through advanced education, training, or relevant professional achievements. Demonstrated success managing concurrent projects or initiatives with competing priorities, including ownership of timelines, budgets, resource allocation, cross-functional stakeholder alignment, and dependency management.

Pay and benefits

Experience in people leadership or demonstrated experience leading project management professionals. PMP certification. Experience in the medical device industry, healthcare, or another regulated product development environment. Ability to analyze complex information, develop practical recommendations, and drive timely decisions.

Strong communication and influence skills, with the ability to present clearly to technical teams, business partners, and senior leadership. Demonstrated ability to coach others, build accountability, and foster collaboration across organizational boundaries. Strong understanding of project and portfolio management principles, governance, risk management, and performance reporting.

Experience with portfolio and work management platforms such as Smartsheet, along with strong Excel and PowerPoint capabilities This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

U.S. ADA Disclosure: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. This position is not eligible for employer based sponsorship. Disclosure as required by applicable law, the annual salary range is 93,000-140,000. The actual compensation may vary based on geographic location, work experience, education and skill level.

The salary range is CONMED's good faith belief at the time of this posting. This job posting is anticipated to close on October 30, 2026. We may, however, extend this time period, in which case the posting will remain available on careers.conmed.com. Please submit your application as soon as possible as we will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis as we receive them.

Benefits

CONMED offers a wide array of benefits to fit your unique needs. Visit our Benefits Page for more information.

Competitive compensation Excellent healthcare including medical, dental, vision and prescription coverage Short & long term disability plus life insurance -- cost paid fully by CONMED Retirement Savings Plan (401K) -- CONMED matches your contributions dollar for dollar, with the potential for up to 7% per pay period Employee Stock Purchase Plan -- allows stock purchases at discounted price Tuition assistance for undergraduate and graduate level courses Know someone at CONMED?

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