Sr. Upstream Product Manager - Shoulder Sports Medicine

Global Upstream Marketing Responsibilities

• Serve as the upstream marketing lead and core team member for New Product Development (NPD), owning key marketing deliverables required for internal governance and external regulatory bodies (e.g., MRD, value proposition, claims strategy, launch readiness inputs).
• Lead market assessment and opportunity identification through Voice of Customer (VOC), market research, competitive analysis, and trend evaluation to identify unmet needs and growth opportunities across Shoulder Sports Medicine.
• Develop and maintain product strategy, positioning, and multigenerational product roadmaps aligned with business objectives and long-term portfolio strategy.
• Drive product portfolio optimization initiatives, including lifecycle management decisions, investment prioritization, and rationalization activities.
• Define product requirements and collaborate closely with R&D to ensure customer needs are translated into clinically meaningful, differentiated solutions for shoulder repair, reconstruction, and adjacent sports medicine procedures.
• Partner with Clinical, Regulatory, Quality, and R&D teams to support evidence generation strategies, clinical evaluations, and safe and effective product use.
• Develop and maintain competitive intelligence, including competitive benchmarking, positioning, and differentiation strategies.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key opinion leaders (KOLs) to support product development, clinical insight, and innovation initiatives.
• Collaborate with downstream marketing, sales, and clinical education teams to ensure strong upstream-to-downstream handoff, supporting launch readiness, messaging alignment, and long-term growth plans.
• On occasion, work with surgeons and sales representatives in operating room or laboratory environments to support product evaluations and development activities.
• Attend major industry conventions and internal meetings to engage with customers, faculty, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Manage assigned upstream project budgets and deliverables in alignment with business plans.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required; MBA preferred.
• 7+ years in medical device marketing, product management, or upstream marketing roles; sales experience may be included when combined with demonstrated marketing experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading upstream product strategy and NPD initiatives within the medical device industry.
• Experience in Sports Medicine or Orthopedics. Experience in Shoulder, implants, capital equipment, disposable technologies, or adjacent surgical markets highly preferred.
• Strong ability to translate customer and market insights into clear product strategies and development priorities.
• Proven success leading and influencing cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills (verbal and written).
• High level of personal ownership, accountability, and strategic thinking.
• Creative problem-solving skills with the ability to navigate ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Travel up to 40%.