We are seeking a
Program Manager, Strategic Innovation to lead a portfolio of high-impact, customer-facing innovation initiatives in partnership with leading hospital systems and healthcare providers. This role sits at the intersection of customer engagement, product development, and enterprise transformation, with responsibility for shaping and executing co-creation strategies that accelerate the delivery of advanced healthcare solutions.
The role will be onsite in our Irvine, California offices.You will build and lead strategic relationships with health system partners, oversee cross-functional programs, and drive the translation of clinical and operational needs into scalable, secure, and commercially viable solutions. This role will play a critical part in accelerating BD's evolution into a software-, AI-, and platform-enabled organization through customer-driven innovation.
The ideal candidate is strategic and forward-looking, with a strong innovation mindset and a deeply customer-centric approach. They bring a proven ability to build trusted, long-term partnerships and collaborate effectively across a global, matrixed organization. Comfortable navigating ambiguity and leading through change, they are focused on delivering measurable impact, scalability, and value realization.
This is a highly visible role with significant influence across a global, matrixed organization, requiring the ability to align stakeholders, challenge the status quo, and drive enterprise-wide impact.
Key ResponsibilitiesStrategic Innovation Leadership & Customer Partnership
- Lead a portfolio of strategic innovation and co-development programs, shaping the co-creation strategy with health systems to drive differentiated, customer-informed innovation.
- Lead the innovation partnership with key hospital systems, building trusted relationships with healthcare stakeholders.
- Partner closely with commercial teams and senior leadership to identify, prioritize, and scale high-impact innovation opportunities aligned to Connected Care's growth strategy.
- Position BD as a strategic innovation partner, shaping solutions based on customer needs and delivering measurable clinical and business value.
Enterprise Program & Cross-Functional Leadership
- Lead complex, multi-year, cross-functional innovation programs spanning software, AI, data platforms, and connected medical technologies.
- Establish strong governance and execution rigor, ensuring alignment on priorities, milestones, resource allocation, risk management, and executive reporting.
- Orchestrate collaboration across global, matrixed teams including R&D, Product, Digital/AI, Product Security, Clinical, Regulatory, Operations, and Commercial.
- Build and scale operating models for customer co-creation and external innovation, influencing without authority to drive prioritization, speed, and delivery excellence.
Customer Innovation & Value Realization
- Translate clinical workflows, operational challenges, and customer insights into product strategy, roadmap priorities, and scalable platform capabilities.
- Ensure solutions are clinically relevant, technically robust, secure, and scalable across diverse healthcare environments.
- Lead pilot programs and real-world validation efforts with healthcare partners, driving iterative refinement and ensuring solutions are fit-for-purpose and scalable.
- Partner with product and commercial teams to scale co-creation efforts into market-ready solutions, delivering measurable clinical, operational, and financial outcomes and establishing repeatable frameworks for enterprise adoption.
External Innovation & Thought Leadership
- Represent BD externally with customers and industry stakeholders as a thought leader in digital health, AI, and connected care innovation.
- Facilitate workshops, innovation forums, and co-creation sessions with health systems.
- Bring forward emerging trends and insights to influence BD's broader innovation strategy.
Education and Experience required:- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Healthcare, or a related field (advanced degree preferred).
- 5+ years of experience in healthcare technology, digital health, medical devices, or related industries, with increasing leadership scope, including engineering experience.
- Experience in co-creation models, innovation partnerships, or customer-driven product development.
- Experience in regulated environments (medical device, healthcare, cybersecurity/product security).
Knowledge and Skills required:- Proven track record of leading large-scale, cross-functional programs and strategic initiatives in complex, matrixed environments.
- Deep experience engaging with external customers or partners at the executive level, ideally within health systems.
- Deep understanding of software solutions through an end-user lens, combined with hands-on experience in the development and delivery process.
- Strong understanding of software, data, AI/ML, and/or connected device ecosystems.
- Demonstrated ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels, translating vision into outcomes.
- Exceptional communication, executive presence, and influencing skills.
- Ability to travel approx. 25%, as needed.
Preferred qualifications:- Familiarity with clinical workflows, hospital operations, or healthcare IT ecosystems.
- Experience scaling solutions from pilot/POC to enterprise-wide adoption.
- Prior leadership in transformation initiatives (e.g., cloud, digital platforms, AI enablement).
At BD, we prioritize on-site collaboration because we believe it fosters creativity, innovation, and effective problem-solving, which are essential in the fast-paced healthcare industry. For most roles, we require a minimum of 4 days of in-office presence per week to maintain our culture of excellence and ensure smooth operations, while also recognizing the importance of flexibility and work-life balance. Remote or field-based positions will have different workplace arrangements which will be indicated in the job posting.
Primary Work LocationUSA CA - Irvine Laguna Canyon
Additional LocationsWork ShiftAt BD, we reward, support and develop our associates through our comprehensive Total Rewards program. We are committed to attracting and retaining high quality talent by providing reward and recognition opportunities that promote a performance-based culture, as well as a competitive package of compensation and benefits programs. You can learn more on our career site under "Our Commitment to You."
Our salary or hourly rate ranges reward associates fairly and competitively. We regularly review these ranges and factors, such as location, contribute to the range displayed.
Our pay is based on the role and the necessary skills and education to perform it successfully. The salary or hourly rate offered is determined by the role's specific requirements, including any applicable step rate pay system at the work location. Salary or hourly pay ranges are influenced by labor laws and Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) requirements applicable to the work location which may also affect the workplace arrangement of the role.
Salary Range Information
