Innovation starts from the heart. At Edwards, we put patients first. We invest a significant proportion of our revenue towards research and development to drive and develop groundbreaking medical innovations for structural heart disease and critical care. As part of our R&D Engineering team, you will work closely with our Quality and Manufacturing teams to develop the latest tools and technologies to address significant, unmet clinical needs that impact patients' lives around the world.
The Sr. Principal Engineer will be responsible for new alloy development and optimization of advanced alloys for structural heart therapies and supporting new product development and GSC through materials selection, processing, testing and metallurgical expertise as it relates to Biomaterials (metals) like Nitinol, Stainless Steel, Cobalt Chromium and Titanium alloys. Additional responsibilities include materials characterization, failure analysis investigations and mitigation, coaching and training of engineers.
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You will make an impact by...
- Initiating, planning and leading the design, development and optimization of new alloys and/or materials processing methods and technology. Developing highly complex experiments & models; executing experiments, analysis and documenting results.
- Collaborating with internal stakeholders and external vendors to assess and implement new materials and materials manufacturing methods for innovative medical devices. Developing project plans to assess complex technology and materials and driving project results.
- Providing direction and guidance to product and process development teams and global supply chain on materials selection and specifications for structural heart implants and delivery systems, materials characterization and testing including corrosion, tensile, fatigue & other mechanical testing, radial force testing, SEM/EDX analysis, HAZ analysis, microstructure analysis, transformation temperature testing (DSC), Auger analysis, XRD analysis, etc.
- Diagnosing and resolving real-world failure problems of significant complexity in material properties and material manufacturing methods thorough failure analyses and testing and by developing solutions
- Generating test methods and protocols, engineering models and drawings/prototypes, etc., to establish/characterize material and/or process specifications.
- Overseeing R&D support tasks; giving instruction to technicians/engineers on conducting tests; training technicians/engineers and provide feedback; and coordinating technician/engineer work.
- Training, coaching, and guiding lower-level employees on more complex procedures.
What you'll need:
• Ph.D is preferred
• Ph.D. in Metallurgy, Material Science with a focus in metals and alloys, or related field with minimum of 4 years of experience required
• Bachelor's Degree in Metallurgy, Material Science with a focus in metals and alloys, or related field with minimum of 8 years of experience is required or
• Master's Degree in Metallurgy, Material Science with a focus in metals and alloys or related with minimum of 7 years of experience is required or
What else we look for:
- Minimum of 4 years of experience in the medical device industry.
- Strong first principles understanding of structure-property relationships in metals, and demonstrated knowledge of Nitinol properties, processing and microstructure relationships.
- In-depth knowledge of Nitinol, Stainless Steel, Cobalt Chromium, Titanium and other implantable metal alloys as it relates to materials science, material fatigue, corrosion behavior, materials characterization, stress & failure analysis, etc.
- Demonstrated ability to apply scientific fundamentals to complex use cases in medical devices
- Hands-on experience with SEM, metallography and microstructure analysis, experience working in a laboratory.
- Working knowledge of XRD, TEM, FIB, XPS, heat treatment, thermomechanical processing, strengthening mechanisms, fatigue, fracture and mechanical testing
- Knowledge of external standards, e.g. ASTM and ISO and their use, limitations, and applications.
- Experience in supporting regulatory submissions related to materials properties and testing.
- Ability to independently develop strategies, plans and execute, and be effective with minimal supervision.
- Ability to collaborate, build relationships and work effectively with internal and external teams, cross functional partners.
- Ability to represent organization as key technical contact internally as well as externally.
Preferred skills and experience:
- Hands-on experience with pitting and galvanic corrosion evaluation and testing
- Experience implementing new materials in medical devices
- Experience in fracture and fatigue testing.
- Hands-on experience with dualbeam SEM-FIB instruments, XRD, high resolution microscopy
- Experience authoring test method SOPs, quality procedures
Aligning our overall business objectives with performance, we offer competitive salaries, performance-based incentives, and a wide variety of benefits programs to address the diverse individual needs of our employees and their families.
For California, the base pay range for this position is $133,000 to $187,000 (highly experienced).
The pay for the successful candidate will depend on various factors (e.g., qualifications, education, prior experience). Applications will be accepted while this position is posted on our Careers website.
Edwards is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer including protected Veterans and individuals with disabilities.
COVID Vaccination Requirement
Edwards is committed to complying with the requirements and guidance from our government authorities and to protecting our vulnerable patients and the healthcare providers who are treating them around the world. As such, all Healthcare Interacting positions require COVID-19 vaccination, which includes anyone who directly interfaces with patients and those who interact with healthcare providers as part of their role. If hired, as a condition of employment, you will be required to submit proof that you have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless you request and are granted a medical or religious accommodation for exemption from the vaccination requirement. This vaccination requirement does not apply in countries where it is prohibited by law to impose vaccination. In countries where vaccines are less available, or other requirements exist, we may institute alternate measures that optimize patient safety and healthcare provider safety, which may include regular COVID testing or specific masking requirements.