(Senior) Project Manager - Front End Innovation

About the Company

vVARDIS is a Swiss-based oral health company founded by Dr. Haley and Dr. Goly Abivardi, dentists, innovators, and award-winning entrepreneurs. With a combined 30 years of dental and entrepreneurial experience, and 20 years of laboratory and clinical research, vVARDIS is dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that enhance oral health and well-being. The company is built on a patented, revolutionary biomimetic peptide technology, scientifically proven in over 200 publications, which enables enamel regeneration to treat early caries non-invasively and pain-free for patients of all ages.

vVARDIS offers oral health products for dental professionals, patients, and consumers, all based on its proprietary technology. The company values innovation, excellence, integrity, and empathy, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment. Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, vVARDIS operates in Europe and the US.

About the Role

As Front End Innovation Project Manager in R&D, you will play a pivotal role in the earliest phases of the innovation process, transforming new ideas into viable projects ready for development. This highly strategic role focuses on identifying unmet medical needs, assessing market needs and technology feasibility, building business cases, and shaping innovation projects from ideation through early prototyping.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional innovation projects from idea intake to proof-of-concept, prior to full product development.
• Conduct thorough assessment of medical needs, market landscape, competitive environment, and commercial potential.
• Evaluate technology readiness: assess internal capabilities, identify technology gaps, and determine whether to develop internally, partner, or acquire technology.
• Identify and evaluate M&A opportunities.
• Analyze Freedom-to-Operate (FTO), intellectual property (IP) landscape, and contribute to IP strategy and filings.
• Develop early-stage business cases, including technical feasibility, regulatory considerations, and financial viability.
• Establish and manage rapid ideation-to-decision processes to ensure timely evaluation and progression of ideas.
• Collaborate closely with R&D, Regulatory, Clinical, Marketing, and Business Development teams to build robust innovation pipelines.
• Define and enable early development strategies, de-risk projects, and prepare them for transition into formal development.
• Drive cross-functional alignment, ensuring clarity of objectives, resource needs, and next steps.
• Maintain clear and proactive communication with senior leadership regarding project status, key risks, and critical decisions.

Requirements

• Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Material Sciences, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in medical device development, ideally in the dental, pharmaceutical, or life science industry.
• 3+ years of experience in R&D project management.
• Experience in innovation management or product strategy, with a significant focus on front-end innovation.
• Strong expertise in evaluating new technologies, medical needs, and business opportunities.
• Solid understanding of product development processes, especially in medical devices, dental industry, OTC, or pharma.
• Familiarity with regulatory pathways, quality standards, and clinical evidence generation.
• Experience contributing to IP strategy and technology scouting.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and strategic thinking skills.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and influencing skills across cross-functional teams.
• Self-starter mindset with the ability to manage ambiguity and drive progress in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

• Frontline role in shaping vVARDIS' future product pipeline within one of Switzerland’s most innovative MedTech and Oral Health startups.
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial work environment.
• Access to cutting-edge research and global experts, including dedicated lab facilities in Michigan and Zurich.
• Opportunity to directly impact product strategy and patient outcomes.
• Professional growth within a fast-scaling organization.

Ideal Candidate Profile

You are energized by innovation, thrive on identifying new opportunities, and excel at translating early ideas into actionable projects. You combine strategic vision with a pragmatic approach to problem-solving, build strong relationships across teams, and lead with humility. Driven by purpose, you are adaptable, proactive, and hold yourself to high ethical and professional standards.