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Kim Licea

@kimlicea

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I lead enterprise portfolios that expand margins and deliver scalable medical-device programs.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I'm looking to lead enterprise portfolios and cross-functional teams where I can improve governance, standardize scalable processes, expand margins, and deliver measurable outcomes for patients and the business.

At Medtronic Operational Innovations, I lead the VAVE portfolio across eight-plus business units, shaping margin-expansion strategy, idea pipelines, and program execution. I oversee 33 programs with $100M in projected savings and grew the savings opportunity pipeline to $462M in year three.

I lead senior people managers, program managers, and engineers while aligning business units, sites, and leadership through SVP level. I build business cases, guide portfolio prioritization, manage annual and strategic-planning budgets, and improve governance through clearer processes and RACI ownership.

Previously at Medtronic Powered Solutions, I managed engineers and technicians supporting global service centers, product transfers, quality improvements, audits, acquisitions, and new-product development. I also led refurbishment and repair-process initiatives, CAPA investigations, EUMDR compliance changes, and design-for-serviceability reviews.

My engineering foundation includes manufacturing and sustaining engineering for service and repair, international service-center business cases, and custom drill-bit design at Ulterra Drilling. I use practical manufacturing knowledge, change management, PowerBI, and standardized ways of working to connect people, processes, and systems around measurable patient and business outcomes.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Sr. Engineering Manager-VAVE Portfolio Leader

Current

Medtronic

Jun 2023 - Present (3 years 3 months)

Owns margin expansion strategy, idea pipeline, and project execution across multiple business units. Leads a team of senior people managers, program managers, and engineers to drive aggressive KPIs and business alignment.

VAVE Margin Expansion Portfolio Management Program Management Leadership Change Management Power BI Planisware AI Dashboards Business Case Development Governance RACI Forecasting

Sr. Engineering Supervisor

Medtronic

Nov 2019 - Jun 2023 (3 years 7 months)

Managed a diverse team of engineers and senior technicians, overseeing multiple projects and supporting international service centers. Developed budget projections and led quality improvement initiatives.

Team Management Budgeting Quality Management CAPA EU MDR Audit Process Validation NPI Design For Serviceability Supplier Quality Data Analysis

Sr. Manufacturing Engineer

Medtronic

Apr 2017 - Nov 2019 (2 years 7 months)

Acted as the only manufacturing sustaining engineer in service and repair, overseeing a wide range of surgical devices. Developed business cases for new service centers and led design for serviceability initiatives.

Manufacturing Engineering Service Repair Business Case Development Design For Serviceability Process Validation FCA PHO Solidworks Minitab Project Management

Manufacturing Engineer

Medtronic

Nov 2014 - Apr 2017 (2 years 5 months)

Supported manufacturing and service operations for surgical devices, focusing on process improvement and quality compliance.

Manufacturing Engineering Process Improvement Quality Assurance FMEA CAPA Design Transfer (DMR DHR)

Design Engineer

Ulterra Drilling

May 2012 - Nov 2014 (2 years 6 months)

Designed custom matrix and steel PDC drill bits using SolidWorks, leading customer needs discovery, design development, and field performance follow-up.

Solidworks Design Engineering PDC Customer Needs Analysis Mold Design Testing