About this role
Senior Operations & NPI Engineer – New Product Introduction
Shape the Future of Mechanical Circulatory Support
Join Abbott's Heart Failure business and play a key role in bringing the next generation of Circulatory Support Systems from development into global manufacturing.
As a Senior Operations & NPI Engineer, you will lead the industrialization, validation, and manufacturing scale-up of complex electromechanical medical devices that directly support critically ill cardiac patients. This is a highly visible role with the opportunity to influence product design, manufacturing strategy, supplier readiness, and production ramp-up from early development through commercial launch.
A unique aspect of this position is the close collaboration between our teams in Zurich, Switzerland and Pleasanton, California. Working as part of a highly integrated global organization, you will partner with experts across R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Operations, and Supplier Engineering to bring innovative technologies to market.
If you enjoy solving complex technical challenges, working hands-on with manufacturing processes, and turning innovative concepts into scalable products that improve patients' lives, we'd love to hear from you.
What You'll Do
• Lead the transfer of new products from R&D into manufacturing, ensuring a smooth transition from prototype and low-volume production to scalable serial production.
• Develop and implement manufacturing processes, production workflows, work instructions, and manufacturing documentation for new products.
• Define manufacturing requirements and provide Design for Manufacturing (DfM), Design for Assembly (DfA), and Design for Test (DfT) feedback to R&D throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Design, develop, qualify, and release production test systems, measurement equipment, fixtures, and tools required for manufacturing.
• Establish manufacturing routings, Bills of Materials (BOMs), production versions, and associated master data within SAP.
• Coordinate product industrialization activities with R&D, Project/Program Management, Supply Chain, Quality, Manufacturing, Procurement, and external suppliers.
• Define process validation and product qualification strategies, including IQ/OQ/PQ activities where applicable.
• Analyze manufacturing data using statistical methods to assess process capability, yield, throughput, and product quality.
• Identify manufacturing risks and drive corrective and preventive actions to ensure successful product launches.
• Support pilot builds, engineering builds, process validation activities, and ramp-up to volume production.
• Ensure manufacturing documentation packages are complete, controlled, and released before production launch.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on quality, cost, delivery, and manufacturing efficiency.
Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Mechatronics, or Software Engineering.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in New Product Introduction, Manufacturing Engineering, Process Engineering, Industrialization, or Operations Engineering.
• Experience working with cross-functional product development teams.
• Basic knowledge of manufacturing processes, process validation, and production scaling.
• Experience with ERP systems; SAP experience preferred.
• Familiarity with statistical analysis and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Fluent in English; German is an advantage.
Why Join Abbott?
• Make a direct impact on technologies that help save and improve patients' lives.
• Lead critical industrialization activities for a next-generation circulatory support platform.
• Collaborate within a truly global team spanning Zurich, Switzerland and Pleasanton, California.
• Influence both product design and manufacturing strategy early in the development process.
• Work with advanced electromechanical medical technology in a highly innovative environment.
• Grow your career within one of the world's leading healthcare companies.
The Best of Both Worlds
Our Zurich Heart Failure site is home to approximately 160 employees, offering the visibility, ownership, agility, and family-like culture often associated with a smaller organization. Here, you can see the direct impact of your work, build strong cross-functional relationships, and influence key decisions.
At the same time, you will be part of Abbott's global organization, collaborating closely with teams in Pleasanton, California and around the world while benefiting from the resources, stability, technology leadership, and career opportunities of one of the world's leading healthcare companies.