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Kerr Dental · 6 hours ago

Principal R&D Engineer

Pomona, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$126K/yr - $189K/yr

4+ years exp

Kerr Dental is seeking a visionary Principal R&D Engineer to lead the design and development of cutting-edge dental devices. The role involves driving projects from concept through commercialization, ensuring engineering excellence, and collaborating cross-functionally to deliver high-performance solutions that elevate clinical outcomes.

Consumer GoodsHealth CareManufacturingMedical Device

Responsibilities

Lead the design, development, and optimization of dental devices including electromechanical and optical systems, endodontic motors and files, burs, polishers, hand-held extrusion devices for restorative materials, and dental curing lights

Drive projects from concept through commercialization, including feasibility studies, prototyping, design verification/validation, and transfer to manufacturing

Develop innovative solutions to improve product performance, reliability, and clinical outcomes, while maintaining compliance with FDA, ISO 13485, and other regulatory standards

Own the design process, including CAD modeling, design reviews, and execution of design control documentation from concept to launch readiness

Conduct testing and verification of new designs and design changes to ensure they meet performance, safety, and regulatory requirements

Maintain detailed documentation of design iterations, test results, and product specifications

Work closely with cross-functional teams including product management, project management, manufacturing, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and customer support to ensure seamless product development and launch

Serve as a technical liaison with external partners, suppliers, and clinicians to align on product requirements and performance expectations

Provide technical support for the current product line, addressing field issues and implementing design improvements

Maintain a strong understanding of current manufacturing processes and support continuous improvement initiatives

Ensure all product developments and changes comply with relevant industry standards and internal quality systems

Participate in continuous improvement activities such as Kaizen events, 5S, root cause analysis, value stream mapping, and process optimization

Support internal and external audits and contribute to regulatory submissions as needed

Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership across multiple projects

Lead technical reviews and ensure adherence to best practices in design and development

Qualification

Mechanical EngineeringElectromechanical DesignSolidWorksProject ManagementPlastic Injection MoldingMetal MachiningCNC ProgrammingAnalytical SkillsBilingual in SpanishTechnical CommunicationPresentation Skills

Required

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field with minimum of 6 years relevant work experience OR Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field with minimum of 4 years relevant work experience is required

Proven track record in plastic injection molding, metal machining, metal heat treatment or similar processes is required

Experience managing projects via project management system (i.e. Microsoft Project, Workfront or similar) required

Ability to manage complex projects required

Intermediate Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, and Excel required

Aptitude to quickly learn business systems required

Strong verbal and technical written communication skills in English required

Ability to build strong partnerships with other departments

Ability to adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment required

Strong analytical skills and ability to develop a business case required

Strong presentation skills are required

Ability to handle situations with confidence, tact, and resourcefulness required

Detail-oriented and the ability to solve complex problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists required

Proven skills in active listening with a seeking-to-understand approach