Biomedical Engineering Director

A Biomedical Engineering Director oversees an entire biomedical engineering operation. A field where man meets machine, biomedical engineering is the application of engineering — the science of designing complex products — within the medical industry.

Employed by hospitals, universities, and medical manufacturing companies, a Biomedical Engineering Director is a senior-level Manager who heads a department of Biomedical Engineers who create medical devices such as prosthetic limbs, artificial organs, and metal joint replacements, as well as hospital equipment like X-ray machines, surgical lasers, and heart-lung machines.

As Biomedical Engineering Director, you’re a bridge between science and business. In other words, it’s your job to guide and manage the work of ground-level Engineers, and to make sure that work benefits the bottom line. After all, your company has two goals: The first might be advancing medical science and enhancing patient care. The second, however, is making money. You’re in charge of pursuing both goals.

Although you assign projects to Engineers and consult with them on their progress, your responsibilities are more managerial than engineering. Your typical duties, for instance, include developing engineering strategies and goals; deciding what projects your team will tackle and what products they’ll develop; creating and enforcing budgets; hiring, training, and managing staff; working with partners and vendors; and measuring and monitoring your department’s performance.

Like Directors in other fields, you’re a decision maker. Say your company manufactures artificial hearts, for instance: Although your staff designs them, it’s your job to make sure they beat.