Vice President R&D Excellence and Transformation (m/f/d)

At Fresenius, we are committed to advancing healthcare through innovation, technology, and patient-centric solutions. We are seeking an exceptional executive leader to shape the future of our global MedTech R&D organization.

In this highly visible leadership role, you will lead the design and implementation of the future-state R&D operating model, driving organizational transformation, governance excellence, capability development, and new ways of working across a complex global R&D environment. Reporting directly to the EVP MedTech R&D, you will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and play a key role in transforming strategic ambition into measurable business impact.

Your Impact

• Drive the implementation of the future-state MedTech R&D operating model, including organizational structures, governance frameworks, decision rights, accountability models, and collaboration mechanisms.

• Lead and execute the global R&D transformation roadmap, ensuring alignment across organization design, governance, digital enablement, process excellence, and capability development initiatives.

• Shape the future R&D workforce by defining critical capabilities, talent priorities, operating models, and partnering strategies across a global footprint.

• Strengthen governance, portfolio decision-making, prioritization processes, and cross-functional alignment across R&D, Quality, Regulatory, TechOps, Commercial, IT/Digital, and other key functions.

• Advance process excellence by driving simplification, harmonization, and modernization of development processes, engineering workflows, digital tools, and AI-enabled capabilities.

• Act as a trusted strategic partner to senior leadership and facilitate organizational alignment, transformation adoption, and change readiness across the enterprise.

Your Profile

• Master's degree or equivalent in Engineering, Life Sciences, Healthcare Technology, Business, or a related discipline.

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience within medical devices, life sciences, healthcare technology, engineering, or similarly regulated complex environments.

• Proven track record leading large-scale transformation, operating model redesign, R&D excellence, strategy implementation, or enterprise change initiatives.

• Deep understanding of product development organizations, product lifecycle management, portfolio governance, and cross-functional development environments.

• Demonstrated ability to influence executive stakeholders and drive change without relying on formal authority.

• Experience translating strategic priorities into actionable roadmaps, governance structures, and measurable outcomes.

• Leadership experience within global Medical Device R&D organizations.

• Background in management consulting, corporate strategy, transformation offices, integration, restructuring, or operational excellence programs.

• Exposure to modern engineering methodologies, digital engineering, systems engineering, AI-enabled development environments, and advanced technology ecosystems.

• Experience designing global operating models, competency centers, shared-service structures, and capability networks.

You are a visionary transformation leader who combines strategic thinking with operational execution. You bring a strong understanding of global R&D organizations and possess the ability to align diverse stakeholders around a common future vision. You thrive in complex environments, embrace ambiguity, and have a proven ability to convert ambitious transformation goals into sustainable organizational change.

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of a global MedTech R&D organization and leave a lasting impact on how innovation is developed, governed, and scaled worldwide. You will work alongside senior executives and global functional leaders while leading one of the most important transformation initiatives within the organization.

Join us and help build the next generation of MedTech innovation.