Project Manager/Project Engineer

Location: Cork, Ireland (Hybrid)
Contract: 12-month initial contract

We are seeking a hands-on Project Manager / Project Engineer to join a global medical device manufacturer, supporting a portfolio of supplier and product transfer projects.

The primary focus of this position will be managing supplier-to-supplier transfers of medical device components and associated manufacturing processes. These projects will typically be driven by cost optimisation, supplier strategy and business continuity requirements.

Working closely with Engineering, Quality, Validation, Supply Chain, Procurement and external suppliers, you will take ownership of day-to-day project execution, ensuring transfers are delivered safely, compliantly and within agreed timelines.

This is an execution-focused opportunity suited to someone who enjoys working in the detail, coordinating technical activities, resolving problems and driving projects through to successful completion.

Project & Supplier Transfer Management

• Manage supplier-to-supplier transfer projects involving medical device components and associated manufacturing processes.

• Develop and maintain project plans, milestones, deliverables, risks, dependencies and actions.

• Coordinate transfer, qualification and production-readiness activities at receiving supplier facilities.

• Work closely with incumbent and new suppliers to resolve technical, quality and scheduling challenges.

• Ensure technical, quality, regulatory and supply requirements are addressed throughout the transfer lifecycle.

• Develop and manage recovery plans where transfers are driven by business continuity or supply-chain risks.

Engineering & Validation

• Coordinate validation activities associated with transferred manufacturing processes.

• Understand validation lifecycles and ensure all relevant engineering and quality deliverables are planned and completed.

• Engage with subject matter experts to establish qualification and validation requirements.

• Support investigations and resolution of issues arising during validation and transfer activities.

• Ensure engineering documentation and supporting evidence are completed to the required standards.

Quality & Regulatory Compliance

• Deliver projects within a regulated medical device quality environment.

• Incorporate quality, regulatory and change-control requirements into project plans.

• Work with Quality, Regulatory and Supplier Quality teams to ensure all transfers meet relevant compliance requirements.

• Understand the relationship between validation, production documentation, supplier qualification, purchasing controls and change management within a regulated Quality Management System (QMS).

• Support risk-management activities, ensuring project risks are identified, assessed, mitigated and documented.

Problem Solving & Risk Management

• Proactively identify technical, quality, supplier and scheduling risks.

• Facilitate structured problem-solving and root-cause analysis when challenges arise.

• Drive investigations relating to validation failures, supplier issues and technical challenges.

• Develop practical recovery plans while maintaining quality and regulatory compliance.

• Maintain project momentum in environments where information may be incomplete or timelines are changing.

Cross-Functional & Stakeholder Management

• Coordinate activities across Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supplier Quality, Validation, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Procurement and Operations.

• Build effective relationships and influence stakeholders across multiple functions without direct authority.

• Lead regular project meetings and maintain clear ownership of actions and deliverables.

• Provide concise project updates covering timelines, risks, decisions, dependencies and outstanding issues.

• Escalate issues appropriately while retaining ownership of their resolution.

• Present project status to management and senior stakeholders where required.
  
  

Essential Experience

• Approximately 2-5+ years' experience in engineering, project management, manufacturing, quality or a related technical discipline.

• Experience working within a regulated manufacturing environment, ideally medical devices.

• Hands-on experience delivering engineering, manufacturing, supplier, validation or product-transfer projects.

• Good understanding of validation lifecycles, quality systems and change-control processes.

• Experience coordinating cross-functional engineering, quality, supply chain and manufacturing stakeholders.

• Demonstrable technical or operational problem-solving experience.

• Ability to independently manage project schedules, actions, risks and dependencies.

Highly Desirable Experience

• Supplier-to-supplier manufacturing transfers or product/process transfer projects.

• Supplier qualification, onboarding, Supplier Quality Engineering or supplier development.

• Manufacturing or process engineering experience, ideally involving medical device components.

• Process validation, equipment qualification and manufacturing process qualification.

• Experience with change control, risk management, FMEA, CAPA and root-cause investigations.

• Exposure to cost-reduction, value-improvement, business continuity or supply-recovery projects.

• Experience working within an ISO 13485-regulated environment.

Candidates from pharmaceutical manufacturing will also be considered, particularly those with transferable experience in validation, quality systems, technical project delivery and regulated manufacturing operations.

A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, Materials Engineering or another relevant engineering/scientific discipline is preferred.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• A hands-on approach, with the ability and willingness to work through project details and drive actions personally.

• Strong ownership and initiative, with the ability to operate independently.

• Adaptability and flexibility when managing changing circumstances and priorities.

• A pragmatic approach to problem-solving while maintaining quality and regulatory standards.

• Technical curiosity and the ability to engage subject matter experts effectively.

• Strong collaboration and stakeholder-management skills.

• Resilience when managing challenges, competing priorities and demanding timelines.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders from engineering and shop-floor level through to senior management.

• The ability to build trusted relationships with internal teams and external suppliers.

The ideal candidate will be curious, proactive, adaptable and keen to learn. They should be comfortable taking ownership, navigating challenges and finding practical solutions in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry unleashes potential in people, teams, and organizations. We work with our clients to design optimal organization structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people and advise them on how to reward and motivate their workforce while developing professionals as they navigate and advance their careers. To learn more, please visit Korn Ferry at www.Kornferry.com