About Welland Medical Ltd:
Welland Medical brings to market the best and most innovative products that enhance the lives of people living with a stoma across the world. Investing in the most talented people, collaborating to create world-class, ground-breaking products and services devoted to improving peoples’ lives. We are passionate about making a difference in the world.
Welland Medical is a part of Clinimed Holdings Limited, a prominent figure in the Healthcare and Medical Equipment sector. Clinimed Holdings Limited comprises a group of companies established in 1982 through the acquisition and formation of various entities within the group.
Job Summary:
Located in Crawley and reporting directly to the R&D Director (Head of R&D), this exciting role offers the successful candidate the chance to join a dynamic, multidisciplinary R&D team. The role will focus on formulation and materials research, development, and scale-up, ultimately contributing to the launch of new hydrocolloids and medical products for Welland Medical that address patient needs.
Our R&D team, made up of Engineers, Designers, and technical experts, is at the cutting edge of technology in the ostomy device industry. As part of this team, you will play a key role in Welland’s New Product Development process and make a meaningful impact on transforming patient care through innovation.
Main Duties & Responsibilities:
The primary focus of this role will be to optimize and formulate novel, improved Hydrocolloid Adhesives and explore potential alternatives
- Contribute to the development of new ostomy-related medical devices, guiding them from early-stage product concepts through to transfer to Operations, in alignment with Welland Medical's Innovation strategy, QMS procedures, and NPD process.
- Lead formulation and materials research and development projects, ensuring alignment with Welland Medical's strategic goals and objectives.
- Provide expert formulation and technical knowledge, offering input to key activities and strategic business decision-making processes.
- Manage multidisciplinary projects to achieve key milestones through a staged product development process, utilizing project management principles. Ensure timely delivery of assigned projects within budget, while proactively managing risks and keeping key stakeholders regularly informed.
- Contribute to allocated work-streams within product development projects, meeting project targets while ensuring products align with customer expectations and operational requirements.
- Prepare, review, and distribute technical reports and design documentation both internally within Welland Medical and externally where applicable.
- Adopt a continuous improvement mindset, proactively seeking development opportunities to enhance the R&D team's skills and expertise to meet business needs.
- Execute testing and trials efficiently, including developing new test methods where gaps are identified.
- Ensure regular maintenance and calibration of assigned test and pilot equipment, while creating and reviewing work instructions and risk assessments.
This role requires the individual to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders across various levels of seniority within the organization, including R&D, Regulatory Affairs, Sales & Marketing, and Operations teams.
Additionally, the individual will interact with external contacts, including (but not limited to) suppliers, key technical partners, and regulatory bodies.
- Drive exploration of novel materials to support the Welland Medical Innovation and Product strategies.
- Continuously improve and maintain the existing range of Welland Medical products currently in the market.
- Support and enhance technical analyses of the marketplace and competitive landscape, including creating data to drive key Welland Medical strategies and activities.
- Compile necessary documentation for new products and/or product improvements to support submission to notified bodies, ensuring compliance to applicable regulations and standards.
- Review and, where applicable, devise technical methodologies for the hydrocolloid space throughout the product lifecycle (including within Operations).
- Support QA/RA in technical investigations of customer complaints and in the compilation of technical sections of regulatory submissions.
- Ensure novel inventions are suitably protected for the Business via the creation of patents.
Personal Specifications:
Essential:
- Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Materials Science, or a related scientific discipline.
- Previous experience in a product development and/or research role in a similar field.
- A solid understanding of chemistry and materials science.
- Proven ability to develop experimental protocols, design and execute tests, and effectively collect, analyze, and interpret data.
- Project management experience with the ability to plan, prioritize tasks, and coordinate the work of others.
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify, analyze problems, and generate design solutions that comply with specifications through root cause analysis.
- High level of computer literacy.
- Exceptional planning, organizational, and time management skills.
- Highly motivated, proactive, and capable of working with minimal supervision.
- Strong team player with excellent collaboration skills.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills.
Desirable:
- Postgraduate degree in a scientific-related discipline.
- Experience in the development and manufacture of medical hydrocolloids, along with a strong understanding of the associated regulatory framework within the medical industry.
- Experience in understanding user requirements, developing ideas, transforming them into concepts, and refining them into commercial products.
- Experience gained in a medical device company.
- Solid knowledge of polymer science and engineering, including rheology and surface chemistry.
- Experience working with key regulations such as ISO 9001, ISO 13485, and ISO 10993 (Biocompatibility).
- Strong understanding of design of experiments principles.
- Experience in providing cross-functional coordination between Technical, Marketing/Sales, Quality, Regulatory, external customers, suppliers, and other key stakeholders.
- A strong curiosity and drive to explore, constantly seeking new ways of doing things, with a passion for investigating processes and technologies across various innovation fields and translating those ideas into new product offerings.
- Able to operate with a high level of autonomy while effectively collaborating with other teams such as QARA, Marketing, Clinical, and Operations.
