Requistion ID: 81128
Dentsply Sirona is the world’s largest manufacturer of professional dental products and technologies, with a 130-year history of innovation and service to the dental industry and patients worldwide. Dentsply Sirona develops, manufactures, and markets a comprehensive solutions offering including dental and oral health products as well as other consumable medical devices under a strong portfolio of world class brands. Dentsply Sirona’s products provide innovative, high-quality and effective solutions to advance patient care and deliver better and safer dentistry. Dentsply Sirona’s global headquarters is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. The company’s shares are listed in the United States on NASDAQ under the symbol XRAY.
Senior Director Connected Technology Solutions R&D Chapters (m/f/d)
As Senior Director CTS R&D Chapters, you will lead the global people and capability organization within our Connected Technology Solutions (CTS) R&D team. This includes responsibility for over 160 internal and ~100 external engineers across multiple disciplines. You will manage the R&D budget and ensure the right talent, technical expertise, and resources are in place to successfully deliver development programs across our dental equipment portfolio—including imaging systems (2D/3D X-ray, intraoral cameras), CAD/CAM solutions, treatment centers, and dental instruments.
The role reports directly to the VP R&D Equipment and is accountable for enabling efficient, compliant, and clinically relevant product development. You will collaborate closely with CTS segment leads and other Business Units to ensure focus on clinical jobs to be done and the timely release of integrated treatment solutions.
A key aspect of the role is maintaining a high level of expertise within each engineering chapter, fostering innovation, and overseeing all intellectual property filings in coordination with the Chief Intellectual Property Counsel. You will work in close partnership with stakeholders across Clinical Affairs, R&D Operations, Legal, Product Security, and Commercial Product Owners (CPOs) to ensure cross-functional alignment, quality, and performance.
This is a highly strategic leadership position requiring deep expertise in equipment technology, strong people and budget management skills, and a proven track record of driving innovation and collaboration in a global R&D environment.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and develop the global CTS R&D engineering organization
* Manage the annual R&D budget (> USD 30M) and oversee resource planning
* Ensure technical excellence and host all IP filings in cooperation with Legal
* Drive capability development, talent management, and succession planning across chapters
* Ensure compliance with regulatory and quality standards (FDA, ISO, MDR)
* Collaborate with Product Marketing, Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Clinical Affairs, and Product Security
* Actively participate in CTS and global Innovation Councils to shape future product direction
* Maintain a high-quality network of external R&D service providers
* Build partnerships with universities, research institutes, and key opinion leaders (KOLs)
* Support the VP R&D Equipment with strategic planning, process improvement, and organizational development
* Ensure effective workload alignment and coordination across CTS segments and other Global Business Units
* Drive internal alignment between product development, supporting technologies, and engineering chapters
Your Profile
* Master’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering (or related field)
* Minimum of 10 years in R&D roles, ideally in dental or medical technology
* At least 10 years of experience leading large, multidisciplinary engineering teams
* Proven experience as a hiring manager and people developer
* Strong technical knowledge in dental equipment, imaging, instruments, or CAD/CAM systems
* Solid understanding of medical device regulations and compliance (FDA, ISO, MDR)
* Skilled in budget management, resource planning, and cross-functional collaboration
* Experience in managing IP processes and working with Legal and Regulatory teams
* Fluent in English; German language proficiency is highly preferred
* Willingness to travel internationally (~20%)
Dentsply Sirona is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or protected Veteran status. We appreciate your interest in Dentsply Sirona.
If you need assistance with completing the online application due to a disability, please send an accommodation request to careers@dentsplysirona.com. Please be sure to include “Accommodation Request” in the subject.