R&D/Research and Development Manager Job Description Template

We are looking for a smart and talented Research and Development Manager who can perform several important roles within our organization. You will be responsible for research, planning, and implementing new programs and protocols into our company. You will also be required to oversee the entire development process of new products and programs within the organization. Your active participation will be required from the initial planning phase to implementation or production. Additionally, you are required to keep track of all the costs related to the creation of these new products and decide what ideas are worth pursuing. You should also stay informed on what is happening in the research and development field at large to make sure the company is up-to-date and current with the most advanced R&D developments.

Responsibilities

The research and Development Manager will have to use creative abilities and research methods to improve existing products based on industry trends and develop new products to meet the needs of the company’s target market. You are expected to report on any technical product issues that are discovered during evaluation and manage product testing and trials, assessing the materials used, the efficiency of the process, and the effectiveness of the final product.

Responsibilities of an R&D Manager job include:

Lead key projects with R&D to support business goals.
Develop research programs incorporating current developments to improve existing products and study the potential of new products.
Understand customer expectations on to-be manufactured products.
Determine and execute improved technologies used by suppliers, competitors, and customers.
Support Director to hire and develop R&D personnel.
Establish project goals and priorities by collaborating with Marketing and Operations.
Transfer new technologies, products, and manufacturing processes into and out of the company.
Research, design and evaluate materials, assemblies, processes, and equipment.
Suggest training tools to enhance employee performance and skill development.
Monitor team metrics and objectives ensuring meeting of goals.
Document all phases of research and development.
Manage customer relationships and perform RFP reviews, customer visits, and product testing.
Establish and maintain testing procedures for assessing raw materials, in-process and finished products.
Oversee complex research projects, analyze results and provide recommendations based on findings.
Assess the scope of research projects and ensure they are on time and within budget.
Be present at industry conferences on research topics of interest.

Education Qualifications

A master’s degree in the relevant field. However, the field in which you got your degree could even be general like human resources, finance, or management. A bachelor’s degree may also be acceptable if the candidate has experience working within the industry of relevance or general R&D experience.

Requirements

Proven experience in a relevant role.
A strong sense of creativity aids in the process of thinking of new product ideas and solving problems creatively.
Great problem-solving skills.
Ability to pay attention to details.
Excellent leadership and managerial skills are also important.
The ability to communicate well with customers, colleagues, and lower-level staff.
Hands-on experience in managing or leading a team of employees.
Ability to multitask efficiently and good at managing time.
Good business sense.

About us

A brief synopsis of the company.

Sample Job Description

#1 Ericsson

Ericsson Overview:

Ericsson is the world’s leading provider of communications technology and services. Our offerings include services, consulting, software, and infrastructure within Information and Communications Technology.

Using innovation to empower people, business, and society, Ericsson is working towards the Networked Society: a world connected in real-time that will open up opportunities to create freedom, transform society and drive solutions to some of our planet’s greatest challenges.

We are truly a global company, operating across borders in over 180 countries, offering a diverse, performance-driven culture and an innovative and engaging environment. As an Ericsson employee, you will have the freedom to think big and the support to turn ideas into achievements. Continuous learning and growth opportunities allow you to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to progress and reach your career goals. We invite you to join our team.

Exciting Opportunity:

It will be practically impossible for human brains to understand how to run and optimize the next generation of wireless networks, i.e., a 5G network with distributed edge compute, that will drive economic and social transformation for all aspects of society. Machine Learning (ML) and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies will be vital for us to handle this opportunity. We are setting up a Global AI Accelerator (GAIA) in the US, Sweden, and India, with 300 experts, to fast-track our strategy execution.

Machine Intelligence, the combination of Machine Learning and other Artificial Intelligence technologies is what Ericsson uses to drive thought leadership to automate and transform Ericsson offerings and operations. MI is also a key competence to enable new and emerging businesses. This includes the development of models, frameworks, and infrastructure where we in our advancements push the technology frontiers. We engage in both academic and industry collaborations and drive the digitalization of Ericsson and the Industry by developing state-of-the-art solutions that simplify and automate processes in our products and services and build new value through data insights.

Senior Manager – R&D for GAIA India shall manage teams that will be working on high impact initiatives with other specialists in Machine Intelligence to drive growth and economic profitability for Ericsson and its customers by accelerating current Ericsson offerings as well create new offerings in the areas of MI driven 4G and 5G network, distributed cloud, IoT and other emerging businesses. As an R&D Manager, he/she shall have two job roles – the primary role of a Product Development Leader and the mandatory secondary role of a Line Manager for R&D teams. Line Manager is a role in the line organization (the operational organization), with the purpose to manage their area of responsibility. He/she shall have one, or more, sub-ordinates and are appointed by a superior manager and approved by the appointees. Line Managers act per the Ericsson Leadership Framework and promote the corporate values, ethics, and culture of the organization to ensure excellent performance. Reports to the Head of GAIA India, which is a part of Ericsson R&D and shall be a part of the GAIA India leadership team. Interfaces with GAIA R&D teams in other locations such as North America and Sweden; and with key stakeholders from Business and Market Areas.

Key Qualifications:

Bachelors/Masters in Engineering from any of the reputed institutes. First Class, preferably with Distinction. Master in Business Administration (MBA) or equivalent Post Graduate Diploma would be an added advantage.
Overall industry experience of around 15 years.
At least 5 years experience as a manager, preferably in design or systems management.
Experience in managing teams working on AI, ML, Big Data, and Analytics would be an added advantage.
Sound technical knowledge across areas and excellent understanding of business issues. Ability to create plans to align technical issues with business strategy.
Strong ability to see the whole picture and to focus on the important details in a pragmatic and result-oriented way with the ability to challenge when needed.
Proven ability to act at both the strategic and operational levels.
Strong partnering skills, with the ability to work across all levels of the organization and multiple countries, effectively collaborating with multiple stakeholders
Excellent people management skills to attract motivate and retain talent.
Excellent communication skills.
Independent self-motivated and well-organized with an analytical mind.
Demonstrably trustworthy (thru reference checks)
Strong sense of duty and initiative

Key Responsibilities:

Responsible for overseeing the development, support, maintenance, and implementation of projects handled by GAIA India team(s).
Responsible for the overall success of the GAIA India unit, comprising of multiple technology/product teams through strategic planning and alignment of units with broader organizational business strategy.
Lead functional and technical analysis within Ericsson organization and strategic customers to understand MI-driven business needs and opportunities
Contribute to rapid and iterative development of high-quality ML/AI applications. This includes working with petabytes of 4G/5G-networks, IoT, and exogenous data and proposing/selecting/testing predictive models, recommendation engines, anomaly detection systems, statistical model, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and other machine learning systems
Lead studies and find creative usage of new and/or existing data sources. Work with Data Architects to leverage existing data models and build new ones, as needed.
Collaborate with product development teams and partners in Ericsson Businesses to industrialize machine learning models and solutions as part of Ericsson offerings including providing source code, workflows, and documents
Work with new technologies and champion them in MI Communities within Ericsson.
Provide MI Competence build-up in Ericsson Businesses and Customer Serving Units
Develop new and apply/extend existing, concepts, methodologies, techniques for cross-functional initiatives
Responsible for overall P&L and technical growth of the specific line units.
Responsible for developing appropriate processes and road map for the team(s) including hiring plans, training requirements, staffing, etc. Requires extensive knowledge of major segments in the organization, knowledge of several disciplines, and the ability to integrate critical information from many diverse areas.
The course of action is guided by corporate goals and strategy.
Resolves critical issues impacting overall organization direction and results.

Source: https://jobs.ericsson.com/main/jobs/

#2 VMware

R&D Manager for the R&D Operation and Central Services team:

You’ll be part of a bright engineering team that has a culture of open communication, collaboration, and innovation. We are looking for an engineer manager who has a strong self-directed work ethic and makes it happen mindset.
Applicants should exhibit experience in building and support distributed applications, APIs, and fault-tolerant solutions. Members of the team focus on highly scalable. Experience in the use of virtualization and container as a key technology to design, implement and support applications that solve real-world problems is required.
Be an R&D Manager for an R&D development team working on the following areas:
Create/enhance/maintain VMware Enterprise-level web application and infrastructure for both internal/external partners and general VMware customers.
Innovate and use the latest web technologies to increase VMware ecosystem operation efficiency
Work with stakeholders, product management, and engineering team to plan and prioritize projects

Requirements:

5+ years working experience in industrial software development including a hands-on technical leadership role
About 3 years R&D management experience in related software fields – demonstrated ability to work as a technical manager that motivates the teams & can give technical guidance, remove technical roadblocks and make sound technical decisions.
Excellent proven project leadership experience – proven track record in achieving successful results with global cross-functional teams and projects
Ability to recruit and retain top talent, motivate team members and coordinate with cross-functional teams.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Familiar with Kubernetes, Docker, and AWS
Experience in JAVA, Javascript, and Angular language is required
Experience in User Interface design is highly desired
Experience participating in agile and test-driven development models.
Strong initiative and the desire to experiment with new technologies
Enthusiastic, self-starter with a charismatic personality

Education:

BS/MS degree or above in Computer Science or equivalent engineering

Our values:

Excellence and innovation
Straightforwardness and open communications
A sense of fun and an appreciation of a balanced life
Delivery on our promises to our partners, our customers, and ourselves
A passion for what we do and the value we deliver

Category: Engineering and Technology

Subcategory: Product Dev Management

Experience: Manager and Professional

Full Time/ Part Time: Full Time

Work From Home: No

Posted Date: 2019-12-20

Research & Development Operations & Central Services: VMware’s R&D Operations and Central Services team makes sure our customers enjoy a high-quality experience across the entire product portfolio.  Our goal is to protect the company’s brand reputation by continually improving customer satisfaction. We bring together key R&D functions such as performance, security, and release management, which frees up R&D business units to focus on product innovation. Our priorities include investing in R&D talent, sharing best practices, and driving scale and agility in VMware products. Are you interested in expanding your R&D skills and experience in ways few jobs can? Join our team, and you’ll help deliver game-changing solutions across business units and product lines. Our team members also work with outside companies, build new contacts, and take part in industry-wide conferences and committees.

VMware Company Overview: At VMware, we believe that software has the power to unlock new opportunities for people and our planet. We look beyond the barriers of compromise to engineer new ways to make technologies work together seamlessly. Our cloud, mobility, and security software form a flexible, consistent digital foundation for securely delivering the apps, services, and experiences that are transforming business innovation around the globe. At the core of what we do are our people who deeply value execution, passion, integrity, customers, and community. Shape what’s possible today at http://careers.vmware.com.

Source: https://careers.vmware.com

#3 Philips

Job Title

Principal R&D Engineer, Advanced Development (AD)

In this role, you have the opportunity to:

Lead technical aspects of projects that develop new, invasive medical devices, particularly high-risk early feasibility projects. This role requires significant leadership skills and technical adaptability, demonstrated by the ability to influence and lead within a rapidly evolving, cross-functional, highly regulated environment. The Principal Engineer will in some cases be responsible for the technical aspects of the team’s performance and the scientific and engineering rigor of the work, and in other cases will be a contributing member of the team. The Principal Engineer will lead technical planning activities, lead the definition of and mitigation of technical risk, and aggressively exploit opportunities and mitigate risks. The Principal Engineer may occasionally be involved at various levels with technical issues at a department level and/or business unit level, though their primary focus will be at the team level. Contribute to the development and release of best-in-class peripheral vascular medical devices, influencing the practice of medicine around the world. You will work on a variety of technologies and disease states within peripheral vascular disease and potentially other clinical adjacencies. As a part of the Philips Image Guided Therapy Devices Research & Development organization, you will help our business enable healthcare providers to decide, guide, treat, and confirm in one setting, thereby optimizing care, reducing costs, and getting patients back to their lives they love.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Translating Voice-of-Customer requirements to design and process requirements, establishing design and process plans, protocols, and reports, and applying engineering principles to understand, improve, and control product performance.
Leading risk/failure mode assessment, test method development, process development, and performance and safety testing for early feasibility products.
Translating high-level objectives into detailed technical plans, execute the plan (individually and/or through others), and update the cross-functional project team on key technical and timeline risks.
Leading key aspects of the Advanced Development (early feasibility) process.
Driving results in the technical team addressing key deliverables or addressing key project risks.
Hands-on ownership of design and process from product ideation through hand-off to the concept through process validation.
Interfacing with Physicians/Customers/Internal departments.
Supporting the creation of marketing materials and post-market activities.
May directly supervise one or more technicians or engineers.
Providing professional development guidance for junior members of the technical team.
Completing documentation of all project data (responsibility to assure accuracy and completeness).
Actively evaluates projects for opportunities to improve performance or accelerate learning; continuously monitors risk and mitigates as appropriate.
Focusing project teams on the key feasibility questions; pivot plans as needs when new learnings require.
Complying with applicable FDA and international regulatory laws/standards and the Code of Conduct.

To succeed in this role, you should have the following skills and experience

Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or Biomedical Engineering, or similar field required. Other degrees will be considered based on experience. An advanced degree is preferred (MS or Ph.D.).
A minimum of 10+ years working within Product Development.
Has successfully supported multiple new product development cycles.
Extensive experience in the design and processing of products required; experience with vascular medical devices preferred (catheter-based balloons, stents, atherectomy, thrombectomy, intravascular ultrasound).
Technical skills to include translation of first-principles science/engineering understanding to Design of Experiments, interpreting/presenting data, conducting advanced statistical analysis, and writing technical reports.
Self-motivated, team-oriented professional with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Capable of communicating complicated technical information to audiences with varying levels of expertise in the area.
Experience within a regulated industry required (medical devices desirable, along with knowledge of FDA Quality System Regulations and ISO 13485).

Why should you join Philips?

Working at Philips is more than a job. It’s a calling to create a healthier society through meaningful work, focused on improving 3 billion lives a year by delivering innovative solutions across the health continuum. Our people experience a variety of unexpected moments when their lives and careers come together in meaningful ways.

Source: https://www.careers.philips.com