NPI Lead, Instrumentation R&D

At Alcon, we're passionate about enhancing sight and helping people see brilliantly. With more than 25,000 associates, we innovate fearlessly, champion progress, and act swiftly to impact global eye health. We foster an inclusive culture, recognizing your contributions and offering opportunities to grow your career like never before. Together, we make a difference in the lives of our patients and customers. Are you ready to join us?

We are seeking a Head of New Product Introduction (NPI) to lead and scale a critical capability within our R&D organization. This role is responsible for enabling the successful transition of products from development to commercialization by establishing and executing a best-in-class NPI framework across ophthalmic surgical systems and vision care instrumentation.

Operating within R&D, this leader will work in close partnership with Manufacturing Technical Operations (MTO), Manufacturing Science & Technology (MS&T), Quality & Regulatory Affairs (QRA), and Supply Chain to ensure products are designed, developed, and industrialized for reliable, compliant, and scalable launch.

This role emphasizes integration, alignment, and execution discipline across functions to deliver predictable and high-quality product introductions.

Key Responsibilities

NPI Strategy & Capability Building

• Define and implement a scalable NPI operating model aligned with industry best practices and internal ways of working
• Establish governance, performance metrics, and reporting systems to support consistent and transparent program execution
• Continuously improve NPI processes, tools, and cross-functional interfaces
  

Program Leadership & Execution

• Lead NPI for a portfolio of complex, cross-functional programs from development to design transfer
• Ensure alignment across R&D, MTO, MS&T, QRA, and Supply Chain on program scope, timelines, and deliverables
• Drive proactive risk identification and mitigation to support predictable launch outcomes
  

R&D Integration

• Partner with product development and systems engineering teams to ensure early consideration of manufacturability, scalability, and lifecycle requirements
• Promote Design for Excellence (DfX) principles in collaboration with MTO and MS&T to support robust product realization
  

Industrialization & Readiness

• Collaborate closely with MS&T to ensure effective process development, scale-up, and technology transfer readiness
• Partner with MTO to support manufacturing readiness, capacity planning, and site execution strategies
• Align with Supply Chain on sourcing strategies, supplier readiness, and continuity planning
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as a central integration point across R&D, MTO, MS&T, QRA, and Supply Chain while respecting functional ownership and expertise
• Foster a culture of shared accountability, transparency, and execution excellence
• Ensure clear communication and alignment across stakeholders, including executive leadership
  

Quality & Regulatory Alignment

• Work in close partnership with QRA to ensure adherence to FDA, ISO 13485, and global regulatory requirements
• Support integration of design controls, risk management, and validation activities into NPI execution

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's Degree
• The ability to fluently read, write, understand and communicate in English
• 12 Years of Relevant Experience
• 8 Years of Demonstrated Leadership
  

Preferred

• Advanced degree (MBA or Master's in Engineering)
• Experience in ophthalmology, surgical systems, or precision instrumentation
• PMP, Agile, or equivalent program management certifications

Experience & Expertise

• Proven track record leading complex product introductions from development through commercialization
• Experience working across R&D, MTO, MS&T, QRA, and Supply Chain in a coordinated operating model
• Strong understanding of process development, scale-up, and manufacturing readiness in regulated environments
• Experience operating in global, multi-site organizations
• Demonstrated success improving time-to-market, launch predictability, and cross-functional alignment

Leadership Profile

• Collaborative leader who enables outcomes through partnership, not ownership displacement
• Strong execution focus with the ability to operate within established functional structures
• Comfortable navigating matrixed organizations and aligning diverse stakeholders
• Build trust across technical, operational, and quality functions
• Drives accountability while reinforcing a culture of shared success

How you can thrive at Alcon:

• Work together with colleagues to share standard methodologies and discoveries as work progresses.
• Discover your career in a fresh way through specific growth and development possibilities.
• Join Alcon's mission to provide outstanding, innovative products and solutions to improve sight, improve lives, and grow your career!
• Alcon provides a robust benefits package including health, life, retirement, flexible time off for exempt associates, PTO for hourly associates, and much more!

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Alcon is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify. Alcon takes pride in maintaining a diverse environment and our policies are not to discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. Alcon is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an email to alcon.recruitment@alcon.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.