Women In Medtech: Jill DeVries

Careers for for the head and heart

Meet women who are changing lives at LivaNova

Jill DeVries is a Product Development Engineer at LivaNova. She is responsible for supporting testing and development activities on mechanical systems for the neuromodulation team. She’s been with the company since March 2020.

Q: What made you pursue engineering as a career choice?

A: As long as I can remember, engineering is what I’ve always wanted to do. I remember doing those silly quizzes in high school that asked, "Do you like putting furniture together?" and I thought, “I DO like putting furniture together.” I interned at a medical device company that specialized in single-use cardiovascular products. After the internship, I was looking for something similar, and when I saw a position at LivaNova come up, I thought it was perfect for me.

Q: Is there a woman who mentored or inspired you throughout your career?

A: I didn't have a woman mentor, but I've always been inspired by my dad. At our family blueberry farm, he designed and manufactured a line of mechanical harvesters and started his own business producing and selling farm equipment. He’s never been to college, and no one in my family was an engineer. He figured it out himself. If he can do that with no degree or prior training, I should be able to do something great, too.

Q: If you were asked by another female engineer who is considering applying for a role at LivaNova, how would you describe your experience at the company?

A: I’ve had a unique work experience since I was only in the office a couple days before the COVID lockdowns happened. However, I always found the flexibility at LivaNova to be great. I enjoy the option to work from home or come into the office, as needed. I am grateful to LivaNova for its support in helping me earn my master’s degree.

Q: What advice would you give to women engineers who are entering the workforce?

A: Engineering is difficult. You’re going to dislike parts of it. But, if you love what you’re doing and power through, you will be fine. It will all be worth it in the end.

Q: What inspires you to do this work?

Q: Why would you encourage other women in medtech to come work at LivaNova?

A: LivaNova is a fun place to work, and I love what we do. We produce some incredibly unique products, many of which are not the ones people typically call to mind when thinking about medical devices, such as our neuromodulation products. Most people think of drugs or a CPAP machine for treatment of conditions including epilepsy, depression or obstructive sleep apnea. They don’t realize implantable devices are an option, too. To me, our unique products make what we do even more interesting.

Q: Please share with us a little-known fact about you.

A: I know a lot about blueberries because, as I mentioned earlier, I grew up on a blueberry farm. My family inherited this small family-owned operation. Every year, we hosted an event to let the public pick their own blueberries for purchase. We had people who came back every year.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.