Principal, Product Safety Risk Management

Merative

$152K — $229K *
US-AnywhereRemote in United States
Healthcare
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years in safety risk management or related fields within healthcare or medical devices, preferably with software.
  • Extensive experience with ISO 14971 in software-based medical devices throughout product lifecycle.
  • Strong understanding of design controls and their integration into product development decision-making processes.
  • Advanced analytical and problem-solving abilities for complex safety issues.
  • Proven capability to influence stakeholders and balance safety with regulatory and business needs.
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, for technical documentation and presentations.
  • Ability to mentor and guide team members in safety risk management principles.

Responsibilities

  • Lead safety risk management activities in alignment with regulations and standards like ISO 14971.
  • Conduct hazard identification and risk analysis for medical imaging software products.
  • Serve as a technical advisor, influencing product design and quality controls.
  • Interpret safety-related regulations and provide guidance to cross-functional teams.
  • Develop and approve comprehensive risk management documentation and reports.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of risk controls and ensure traceability to requirements and evidence.
  • Monitor post-market safety activities and recommend corrective actions for identified risks.

Benefits

  • Remote first / work from home culture
  • Flexible vacation policy for better work-life balance
  • Paid leave benefits for personal and family care
  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401k retirement savings plan to support financial well-being
  • Infertility benefits to assist those in need
  • Tuition reimbursement and additional life benefits such as EAP.
Full Job Description
The Principal, Product Safety Risk Management is a senior individual contributor and recognized subject matter expert responsible for providing technical leadership and expert execution of product safety risk management activities for regulated and non-regulated medical imaging software devices. This role applies independent expert judgment in the interpretation and application of ISO 14971-compliant risk management processes across the product lifecycle, from concept and design through post-market surveillance. The Principal, Product Safety Risk Management partners with the Senior Manager, Product Safety Risk Management and cross-functional stakeholders, including product management, development, cybersecurity, human factors, regulatory affairs, and product teams, to resolve complex safety issues, support risk-based product decisions, strengthen risk management documentation, and drive continuous improvement in safety practices.

Essential Job Duties

  • Provides expert technical leadership for safety risk management activities in conformance with applicable regulations, standards, and guidance, including ISO 14971, ensuring consistent and effective implementation across assigned products, programs, and lifecycle phases.


  • Leads complex risk management analyses and documentation activities, including hazard identification, risk analysis, risk evaluation, risk control strategy, residual risk acceptability, benefit-risk assessment, and risk management report conclusions.


  • Serves as a principal technical advisor to product development and quality teams, influencing design controls, architecture decisions, product requirements, verification and validation strategy, and release readiness decisions within assigned programs.


  • Interprets and applies complex safety-related regulations, standards, guidance, and internal QMS procedures, and provides expert guidance to cross-functional stakeholders on risk-based decision-making and regulatory expectations.


  • Develops, maintains, reviews, and approves risk management files and associated documentation, including hazard analyses, FMEAs, fault tree analyses, benefit-risk analyses, risk management plans, and risk management reports.


  • Integrates clinical, human factors/usability, cybersecurity, interoperability, and post-market evidence into safety risk management practices, including use-related and security-related hazards.


  • Evaluates risk control effectiveness and ensures robust traceability to requirements, verification, validation, usability, clinical, cybersecurity, and post-market evidence.


  • Provides senior expert review for post-market safety activities, including Health Hazard Evaluations (HHEs), complaint investigations, field safety corrective actions, post-market surveillance trending, and escalation of emerging safety signals.


  • Identifies systemic or emerging safety risks, assesses patient safety and product impact, and recommends risk-based corrective and preventive actions in collaboration with quality, regulatory, product, and engineering partners.


  • Develops and interprets safety and risk-related quality metrics to support management review, quality planning, audit readiness, and continuous improvement priorities.


  • Leads technical contributions to regulatory submissions, change assessments, design history documentation, and regulatory responses, ensuring alignment with applicable regulatory expectations and product claims.


  • Applies advanced problem-solving methodologies to ambiguous or high-impact safety issues, facilitates alignment across stakeholders, and clearly communicates risk-based recommendations to technical and leadership audiences.


  • Mentors and guides less experienced team members and cross-functional partners on product safety risk management principles, documentation expectations, and regulatory defensibility.


  • Promotes a culture of patient safety, risk awareness, collaboration, quality ownership, and continuous improvement across the organization.


  • Supports internal audits, external audits, inspections, and management discussions as a senior subject matter expert, providing objective evidence, technical rationale, and regulatory justification as required.


Basic Qualifications

  • Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in safety risk management, quality, regulatory affairs, systems engineering, clinical safety, or related disciplines within healthcare technology, medical devices, or other regulated industries, preferably involving Software as a Medical Device (SaMD).


  • Extensive practical experience applying ISO 14971 to software-based medical devices across pre-market and post-market phases, including post-market feedback, risk management file updates, residual risk assessment, benefit-risk evaluation, and regulatory submission support.


  • Deep understanding of design controls and demonstrated ability to integrate safety risk management into product architecture, requirements, verification and validation, usability, cybersecurity, and release decision-making.


  • Advanced analytical, problem-solving, and risk-based decision-making skills, including the ability to resolve ambiguous, complex, or high-impact product safety issues.


  • Proven ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority, drive alignment, and make recommendations that balance patient safety, regulatory expectations, product performance, and business priorities.


  • Strong prioritization, technical leadership, and change management skills, with the ability to support multiple complex initiatives while maintaining quality, traceability, and regulatory defensibility.


  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear technical rationale, executive-ready summaries, audit responses, and regulator-facing documentation.


  • Demonstrated ability to work independently with broad latitude, exercise sound judgment, mentor others, and serve as an escalation point for complex safety risk management matters.


Technical Skills

  • Expert-level knowledge of ISO 14971 and its application to medical device software, including complex software, interoperability, cybersecurity, usability, clinical workflow, and post-market risk considerations.


  • Advanced working knowledge of related standards and expectations, including ISO 13485, IEC 62304, IEC 62366-1, and applicable software, cybersecurity, usability, and post-market surveillance guidance.


  • Strong knowledge of applicable regulatory frameworks, including:


o 21 CFR Part 820 Quality System Regulation

o Canada Medical Devices Regulations (SOR/98-282)

o EU Medical Device Regulation (EU) 2017/745

  • Strong familiarity with software development lifecycles, including agile methods, risk-based testing, issue management, release readiness, and technology applications such as Jira, Xray Test Management, and Microsoft 365.


Education Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, life sciences, or another technical or scientific discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.


  • Advanced degree in engineering, life sciences, health sciences, regulatory affairs, quality, or a related discipline preferred.


  • Advanced training or certification in medical device safety risk management, quality, regulatory affairs, systems engineering, or related discipline preferred.


  • Experience with agile development environments, cloud-based solutions, regulated medical device software, and global regulatory expectations preferred.


Work Environment

The work environment characteristics here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

  • Office environment, hybrid, or remote work-from-home depending on location.


  • Travel: ~10%


Compensation

The salary range provided in this job posting is intended to reflect the general market value for the position. The actual salary offered may vary based on factors such as the candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, and the specific requirements of the role. This range may also be subject to change as market conditions evolve. We encourage open communication throughout the interview process to discuss compensation expectations. For base-salary + commission sales roles, the range represents On-Target Earnings.

Min - Max :
$152,778.66 - $229,168.00 (USD)

Benefits

The benefits described represent the current offerings at our organization, however, benefits are subject to change and may vary by location and employment status. We strive to provide a comprehensive benefits package that supports our employees' health, wellness, and financial goals. Please note that benefits may be discussed in more detail during the hiring process.
  • Remote first / work from home culture
  • Flexible vacation to help you rest, recharge, and connect with loved ones
  • Paid leave benefits
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401k retirement savings plan
  • Infertility benefits
  • Tuition reimbursement, life insurance, EAP - and more!


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