Business Development and Medical Device Engineer

Title: Business Development and Medical Device Engineer
Job code: 8343BG
Employee Group: Business Development Pro 3 - Business Development Generalist
Full/Part Time (FTE): FTE 100%; $90,937-150,030 (mixture of chart strings that will include
among possible others: 1000-11914-20994; 1150-11914-SEPRT; 1024-11914-BFS01-
UCMED09774)
Regular/Temporary: Regular

Position Overview:

The Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center (BMDC) facilitates moving healthcare technology from idea to commercialization. Stakeholders from around the University including M Health Fairview clinicians, research faculty, research staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students come to BMDC for guidance and resources on solving healthcare needs. Some ideas are vague, some are well-formed, some are advanced, and some are in the early stages of development. This role is responsible for performing professional research and development activities. This is a senior individual contributor in the department to whom junior employees go for technical guidance. This employee has the authority to effectively recommend to the BMDC's Director the following actions: hire, suspend, promote, discharge, reward, and/ or discipline. This employee has the authority to interview applicants, direct the work of other employees, lead project teams and other collaborative efforts, mentor/coach and adjust grievances. This extends to supervising student employees. Actions are guided by schedules due dates and clear deliverable. Requires complex problem-solving skills that are varied in scope and nature and solved by know-how and imaginative workarounds.

This role is the BMDC's expert on technology and business development for the BMDC and external clients of the BMDC, along with managing project development activities with outside contractors. This role also leads BMDC's educational innovation programs, managing a complex laboratory environment, and guiding clinicians, students, and researchers through early-stage technology development. The position serves as a key connector between clinical partners, student teams, external vendors, and internal University resources to advance healthcare solutions and experiential learning opportunities. Success in this role requires strong program management capabilities, technical familiarity with medical device development processes, excellent communication with multidisciplinary stakeholders, and the ability to manage laboratory operations to ensure safety, efficiency, and high-quality user experiences. The position also contributes
to departmental goals by supporting grant activities, representing the BMDC to internal and external audiences, and maintaining the infrastructure and resources needed to drive
innovation.

This position is based on campus in-person. Per UMN policy, work may be done remotely when appropriate and approved by your manager. All UMN employees are expected to follow applicable public health and safety procedures.

Job Duties/Responsibilities:

30% Business Programming

• Business Development
  • Determines the needs and is responsible for the long-term value for BMDC's stakeholders from clients, markets and relationships
  • Represents External Clients interests to the BMDC for ESO projects
  • Conducts research and product studies
  • Evaluates patent/intellectual property issues in the context of ranking technical concepts for commercialization
  • Develops costing and other financial models to evaluate technology candidates
  • Manages network contacts, not limited to contractors, external clients, trade associations, government and NGOs
  • Manages the technology development portfolio and leads technology development teams
  • Represents the BMDC and University of Minnesota at trade shows and conferences

30% Education Programs

• CLIP/UGRA (MedWorx incorporated)
  • Receive requests from clinical staff for the development of solutions to healthcare needs
  • Provide Chief of Staff a list of skills required for the project, to identify students to interview
  • Interview and hire students for the project
  • Meet with the team (students and clinician) fortnightly to provide education on the tech-dev process (particularly important if the team did not start out as an MDIEU project) and track project's progress. Resolve issues that arise.
  • Contact other resources to support the project's desired outcome (e.g. contact VHL to access a model to perform feasibility testing)
  • Provide assistance in submitting for grants/funding
  • Identify (at least 3) outside resources at the appropriate time to provide access to capabilities not at the U of MN. Work with Tech Comm to execute an NDA. Interview suppliers and review their proposals. Choose the selected contractor with input from the clinical sponsor. Work with Accounting to set up the chosen vendor so payments can be processed. Work with the Chief of Staff to ensure the funding is released.
• The Medical Device Innovation Experience for Undergraduates (MDIEU)
  • Promote program
  • Maintain online registration form (G-Forms)
  • Process applications to select students
  • Create/Update course materials
  • Schedule Instructors
  • On-site for classes and final presentation
  • Reserve room for classes and final presentation
  • Acquire resources to support the projects
  • Support teams interested in transitioning to an UGRA or UROP status
  • Assist with Tech Disclosures where appropriate

20% Lab Management

• Supervise student staff
• Equipment inventory management & repair
  • Supervise equipment installation/replacement
  • Specification development for equipment
• Report on facility issues to Facilities Management (FM)
• Lab Safety Program Development and Implementation
• Space management & Efficiency
• Supervise visitor usage and enforcement of policy
  • Visitor guidance on proper use of equipment and facilities
• Respond to request regarding equipment inquiries
• Receive and organize medical equipment donations
• Train new students on laboratory equipment so they can facilitate user's safety
• Manage facility hours and staffing

10% Grants/Funding

• Review of Maslowski grant applications for technical errors; final reports
• Guide 'innovators' (clinicians, researchers, students) to acquiring funding for their research (UROP, Maslowski)

10% Admin

• Representing the BMDC to the public
  • Tours
  • Conferences & Trade Shows
  • Guest lecturer to classes and student groups
  • U of MN outreach programs
• Updates/Reports
  • Department Meetings
  • Contribute to Director's report to Deans
• Grants/Funding
  • Generate data for inclusion in grant/funding requests
  • Develop grant strategies
• All duties assigned by the Director

Required Qualifications

• BA/BS plus at least four years of experience or a combination of related education and work experience to equal at least eight years
• PhD in Engineering
• Industry experience in device development from ideation to scale-up
• Experience collecting user needs and conversion to specifications
• Experience with contract development
• Experience conducting technology assessments
• Practical knowledge of IP (e.g. copyrights, trademarks, patents)
• Teaching experience
• Supervisory experience
• Lab Safety
• Practical experience with typical machining and electronic lab tools

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong analytical, verbal, and written communication skills to articulate complex usability issues to cross-functional teams.
• HIPAA Training (can be performed after hire date)
• Ability to manage confidential or sensitive information professionally
• Familiar with U of MN policies and procedures
• Experience functioning at a senior research level within an academic institution

The BMDC is an interdisciplinary program that sits within the University of Minnesota's Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM). The BMDC brings together expertise from the College of Science and Engineering and the Health Sciences (the Medical School, School of Dentistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, School of Nursing, and College of Pharmacy). The BMDC combines basic research, applied and translational research, education and training, and outreach and public engagement related to medical devices.

The BMDC Industry Collaborations group engages with local, national and global companies to partner industry and academia to discover unmet clinical needs.

The BMDC MedWorx and Protoyping Facility supports researchers, clinicians and engineers in their efforts to resolve clinical needs. Services include 3D Printing, 3D Scanning, Engineering/CAD, Segmentation and Virtualization (VR).

The BMDC Innovation Fellows Program is a full- immersion educational and product development program for medical device creation. The goal of the program is to train Fellows to be med-tech leaders by fostering leadership and teaching risk management as relates to medical devices.

Our vision is to develop and evaluate innovative, effective acute trauma care from point of injury through early post-injury in austere, low resource, rural, and emergency care settings by creating a multidisciplinary, translational research center that brings together trauma and emergency care research across the state of Minnesota into a single entity and develops faculty and trainee research careers.

Pay Range: $43.72-$72.13 per hour ($90,937.60-$150,030.40 annually); depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Work Location: In person

Position Type: Civil-Service & Non-Faculty Labor Represented Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

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