Description
Plan, direct, and coordinate research and development to create and improve products, processes, or technologies, aligning projects with business strategy from concept through commercialization.
- • Align R&D strategy and roadmaps with business objectives.
- • Define project specifications with product, marketing, sales, and customers.
- • Plan and direct experiments, prototyping, and validation testing.
- • Manage cross-functional integration with design, engineering, manufacturing, and quality.
- • Present proposals, technical findings, and stage-gate reviews to stakeholders.
- • Evaluate technical feasibility, resources, timelines, and market demand to prioritize work.
- • Prepare and manage R&D budgets, schedules, and vendor or research contracts.
- • Review and approve design iterations, change controls, and test plans.
- • Develop and enforce R&D policies, standards, lab safety, and documentation practices.
- • Recruit, mentor, and evaluate R&D staff and build high-performing teams.
- • Plan or direct installation, calibration, and maintenance of lab equipment and pilot facilities.
- • Implement programs to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impacts of products and processes.
- • Monitor regulations, standards, and societal trends to inform R&D decisions and compliance.
- • Assess environmental, safety, and ethical impacts of technologies under development.
- • Identify technology risks, opportunities, and partnerships through scouting and collaborations.
- • Protect intellectual property by guiding invention disclosures, patents, and trade secrets.
- • Perform administrative duties such as report writing, expenditure approvals, and procurement.
- • Secure internal and external support for projects through business cases, grants, or partnerships.
- • Coordinate user research, field trials, and feedback loops with development and launch activities.
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Related Pathways
Advanced Manufacturing
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
