Head of Product Development (Biomedical Hardware) (Remote, Part-Time)

Organization: Right to Live Canada
Location: Remote (United States, Canada or Europe)
Time Commitment: Part-time volunteer commitment, target 20 hours per week, including meetings and all role work. Duration negotiable, four month minimum.

------ THE MISSION
Right to Live Canada is an early-stage Canadian non-profit developing Continuity — systems designed to help people maintain access to preferable living futures when facing serious risks to life.

OpenABLS (Open Artificial Brain Life Support) is an open-source engineering project developing a non-clinical research platform intended to explore technologies for sustaining a living brain when the body can no longer support it. The project is currently focused on an open research workbench, followed by an Integrated Development Prototype and reference product.

------ ABOUT THE ROLE
The Head of Product Development will build and lead the OpenABLS product-development department, turning the project vision into a practical development roadmap and coordinating the teams needed to deliver each development stage.

------ KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
-- Build and organize specialized product-development and engineering teams.
-- Recruit team leaders and specialists through People Services.
-- Set priorities, assign ownership, manage performance, and remove blockers.
-- Own the product-development roadmap and coordinate cross-functional teams.
-- Ensure technical decisions, progress, and development stages are documented.
-- Drive development from concept through prototype, integration, verification, and later stages.
-- Use AI-assisted workflows and open development to accelerate responsible execution.

------ QUALIFICATIONS
Universal Requirements:
-- Good video and audio equipment for virtual meetings.
-- A quiet, dedicated environment where you can give virtual meetings your full attention.

Required:
-- Senior leadership experience in product development, engineering, R&D, program management, or operations involving complex biomedical, medical-device, life-science, hardware, or electromechanical systems.
-- Experience taking complex products through multiple development stages, such as concept, architecture, prototyping, integration, verification, validation, or launch.
-- Demonstrated ability to build and lead cross-functional teams or departments.
-- Ability to turn complex technical concepts into practical roadmaps and coordinated execution.
-- Experience recruiting specialists, delegating ownership, setting accountability, and managing performance.
-- Strong technical judgment, leadership, communication, prioritization, and problem-solving skills.
-- Ability to work independently in a high-responsibility startup environment.

Preferred:
-- Experience developing biomedical platforms, medical devices, laboratory systems, life-support technology, or complex hardware.
-- Experience with quality systems, risk management, regulatory strategy, verification/validation, or design controls.
-- Open-source hardware or distributed engineering experience.
-- Experience working with research institutions, manufacturers, technical partners, or scientific reviewers.
-- Zero-to-one startup or R&D/engineering department-building experience.

------  TIME COMMITMENT
Approximately 20 hours/week for at least four months. Applicants must have reliable video/audio equipment and a suitable space for focused virtual meetings.

------ HOW TO APPLY
Apply using the form on our website (www.righttolive.ca/volunteer) or email your resume to volunteer@righttolive.ca.

Thank you for your consideration.