A day in the life of... a Product Development Manager

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TCT's 'A Day in the Life of...' series has been primarily launched for college and university alumni to better understand what career opportunities in additive manufacturing (AM) are available to them. Throughout the series, TCT will spend time with a host of AM professionals to communicate what their day-to-day tasks are, what kinds of teams they work within, what they have learnt on the job, and how they got to where they are today. In this instalment, Elen Parry, of medical device company Crispin Orthotics, explains the role of a Product Development Manager. 

There’s a lot going on. A lot of people. A lot of projects.

The next job could be something that’s been in the schedule for a while, or something new that’s just come in. It could be orthotics or prosthetics or even seating solutions.

Elen Parry has been in post for 18 months now and is rarely bored. Hers is a role that has evolved to become more than what she signed up for. And it’s a role of much significance for every patient she is working to support, whether the job comes through a private contract or an NHS contract.

That can bring with it some pressure, but it can also bring with it rich rewards.

“When you see a child, for example, who chooses a custom design they want on the back of their product, and they get to choose the colour and they’ve got this whole creative vision, when they see it come to light and they’re really happy with it, that’s a great feeling,” she says. “It’s lovely to see.”

Q. What is the best thing about your job?

EP: It’s different every day. There are never any repetitive tasks. And everything is challenging in a different way.

THE ROLE BEYOND THE TITLE

Parry joined Crispin Orthotics in May 2023, taking up a position as Design Engineer for a company working to produce ‘world-class’ 3D printed orthoses and prostheses, often with a custom design. She was promoted to Product Development Manager in 2024. 

The company’s digital process sees 3D scanning deployed to create 3D models without the use of plaster bandages, before 3D printing is harnessed to realise products with intricate designs, as well as varying thicknesses and rigidities. These products can be finished in a range of different colours, patterns, and debossed or hydrographic images, bringing personality to the prosthetics.

Parry is responsible for design engineering and 3D printing technical work, spending a lot of her time in CAD to model the medical products, as well as looking at different post-processing, finishing and colouring techniques. She is also required to conduct mechanical testing of products, write test protocols and be across medical device quality standards. An eye must also be kept on the latest research findings in the industry, helping the company to ensure it is always getting the most out of the technologies they deploy.

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HP’s Multi Jet Fusion technology is the company’s primary 3D printing option with three in-house Multi Jet Fusion printers.

“We have a lot of private contracts but we also have a lot of NHS contracts, and they’re taken on by different companies in the group,” Parry explains. “It’s a mix of how the work comes to us. We just get involved where we need to get involved.”

These days, Crispin Orthotics is part of the Ability Matters Healthcare Group, an international healthcare products and services provider, operating mainly to enhance mobility and accessibility. It is a big group, employing just under 1,000 people and housing brands such as Opcare, focusing on providing prosthetic and orthotic services; Ortho Europe, a manufacturer and distributor of orthotic, prosthetic and seating products; Proactive, a prosthetic and orthotic clinic; and Kenward, a manufacturer of bespoke footwear.

As Crispin has integrated into this network, Parry has become part of a collaborative environment that might see her and her product development colleagues get involved in projects beyond the core focus of Crispin. She therefore works closely with the Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs teams, as well as the CAD team, factory technicians, office staff, and even the senior leadership team. And when the need arises, she will work with the IT department on software and marketing department on photoshoots, social media posts, packaging and trade events.

“Keeping organised is really important, but being dynamic and flexible is too,” Parry says. “You can’t necessarily plan everything because you don’t know what’s coming through the door next. When there’s lots going on, you just have to keep pace.”

Q. What kind of people are perfect for a job like yours?

EP: Somebody who is inquisitive, is creative, likes to innovate, and is motivated by positive change. Someone that’s willing to fully immerse themselves and get stuck into it.

A TYPICAL DAY

The sheer variety of work that comes across Parry’s desks means there is no typical day, but they all start with a routine check of emails and calendars. Often, the morning will include meetings with clinicians – Parry joining the clinician to provide insights from the R&D department – to discuss what product can be designed and manufactured. Software review meetings are also not uncommon, with Parry part of the decision-making team that will consider pricing, capabilities and ease of integration into existing tools.

“We look at different software packages and how we can enhance what we already do,” Parry says. “Because the software’s moving quickly, there’s always new software and tools to consider. We’re very much on top of that and seeing what we can implement in the company.”

Outside of those meetings, Parry is likely to be doing some CAD work, loading up some test prints and developing new concepts. This will all be shared with the manufacturing team the next day. Parry will routinely take a walk down to the factory, which is on-site, to check on post-processing activities, garnering feedback from machine operators and supporting with any maintenance that’s required.

Parry’s biggest responsibility is the design and development of new products, working closely with clinicians to understand what Crispin can do to enhance the quality of their products.

“We have product pipelines, we have new things that we’re working as a company,” she says. “We also look at renewing and updating all of our existing product ranges and making them more efficient, more sustainable, offering more customisation. Again, responding to what patients and clinicians want.”

Parry is also involved in medical device audits, contributes to design development procedures, and supports the IT department in getting all IT systems to conform with the Cyber Essential Scheme – a requirement for a lot of NHS contracts. She has also been known help marketing out with the stand design whenever an industry event rolls around.

When time opens up, Parry will check up on industry news, keep an eye out for any new sources of inspiration, sketch out some new designs.

Q. What career advice would you give your younger self?

EP: I didn’t plan on doing my Masters and I definitely didn’t plan on doing a PhD, but everything works out the way it should do. Don’t overthink it and do what you enjoy. Trust the process and let things happen.

THE PATHWAY

Parry has ended up at Crispin Orthotics after obtaining an undergraduate Product Design degree at Manchester School of Art. Though this was a creative degree as opposed to a technical degree, she got a scholarship that would allow her to undertake a Master’s degree in Industrial Digitalisation.

“That’s where my interest in inclusive deign came about,” Parry explains. “My projects started to use 3D printing and focus on making things more accessible. While I was doing that degree, I worked with some clinicians and did a prosthetics project. That wasn’t part of my degree [initially] but I ended up basing my dissertation on it.”

This then opened the door to a PhD, with Parry obtaining another scholarship that would enable her to study the use of extrusion-based polymer 3D printing for medical devices. The focus was on how 3D printing could facilitate the production of low cost and accessible medical devices, and testing whether those devices can be used in the real world, proving to be safe, effective and conforming to safety regulations.

Parry defended her research in March 2023, and by May 1st was continuing to prove the efficacy of 3D printing in that application space as a Crispin Orthotics employee.

“From everything that I studied – the creative element, the technology element, the medical devices – everything in my career pathway up to now is used in my current role, which is quite rare. I didn’t expect to be in a career where I can utilise all of those skills from all the different parts of my education.”

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