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Research and development director skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted experts
Yi Yang PhD,
Tom Springer Ph.D.
Research and development director example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical research and development director skills. We ranked the top skills for research and development directors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 23.1% of research and development director resumes contained r as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a research and development director needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 research and development director skills for your resume and career

1. R

R is a free software environment and a language used by programmers for statistical computing. The R programming language is famously used for data analysis by data scientists.

Here's how research and development directors use r:
  • Develop and streamline R code for data evaluation and statistical analyses performed on data collected from experiments and from outside sources.
  • Helped win the company's largest R &D Federal contract at DHS (CanScan - Domestic Nuclear Detection Office).

2. Product Development

Product development is the complete procedure of creating a product from concept until release of the final product. Product development has many stages after which a product is released into the market. Identifying the need, creating the opportunity, conceptualizing a product, and providing a solution, all are different stages of product development.

Here's how research and development directors use product development:
  • Job duties included overall responsibility for new product development, product performance and compliance to all regulatory requirements for medical devices.
  • Supervised a five-member technical team and introduced a value accounting system to justify product development resources versus sales realized.

3. Project Management

Here's how research and development directors use project management:
  • Authored best practices literature for requirements gathering, collaborative project management, change management, and coding standards.
  • Recognized repeatedly for excellence in areas of design, innovation, project management and leadership.

4. FDA

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services that regulates the production and sale of food, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, and other consumer goods, as well as veterinary medicine. The FDA is now in charge of overseeing the manufacture of products like vaccines, allergy treatments, and beauty products.

Here's how research and development directors use fda:
  • Interfaced with regulatory personnel for FDA submissions.
  • Direct R & D activities for both liquid and aerosol product lines including FDA, USDA and EPA registered products.

5. Oversight

Having oversight of someone means to monitor a process or a situation. If someone has oversight of something, they are responsible for the completion of the project. Oversight is usually given to experts as they monitor their juniors or newbies as they go through a project.

Here's how research and development directors use oversight:
  • Succeeded in integrating diverse skills for the implementation of effective marketing, management and oversight of businesses.
  • Provided intellectual property (IP) oversight for the Specialty Materials R&D Group.

6. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how research and development directors use business development:
  • Participated in worldwide business development activities including technical sales and marketing and in presentations at scientific meetings and trade shows.
  • Worked with business development and senior management staff members in identifying and evaluating new technologies and acquisitions.

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7. Direct Reports

Here's how research and development directors use direct reports:
  • Cultivated positive relationships with vendors, suppliers, executive leaders and direct reports to foster collaborative, inclusive workplace environment.
  • Develop staff of mechanical and electrical engineering direct reports.

8. Strategic Direction

Here's how research and development directors use strategic direction:
  • Reported directly to Division Manager with responsibility for strategic direction related to engineering operations in North America, Germany and France.
  • Worked with top executives to re-define our strategic direction and re-prioritize our technology product portfolio

9. Due Diligence

Due diligence refers to the process of auditing, investigating, or reviewing done to confirm the authenticity of relevant facts. In addition to this, it also refers to the evaluation of a party's financial records to determine whether one should enter into a transaction with the said party or not.

Here's how research and development directors use due diligence:
  • Monitor technology/medical landscape to identify potential technology platforms, complete due diligence to support partnering/acquisition candidates.
  • Performed due diligence activities on potential licensing partnerships as required.

10. Intellectual Property

Intellectual properties refer to individuals' intangible or non-physical wealth, which results from their imaginations and intellect.

Here's how research and development directors use intellectual property:
  • Sustained intellectual property (IP) protection including execution of patent and trademark applications.
  • Develop company intellectual property through patent filing of designs and product ideas.

11. Clinical Trials

Here's how research and development directors use clinical trials:
  • Co-authored IRB protocols for inhalation control clinical trials.
  • Completed numerous preliminary clinical trials.

12. C++

C++ is a general-purpose programming language that is used to create high-performing applications. It was invented as an extension to the C language. C++ lets the programmer have a high level of domination over memory and system resources. C++ is an object-oriented language that helps you implement real-time issues based on different data functions

Here's how research and development directors use c++:
  • Architected and implemented EDA C++ application GUI framework on top of OpenAccess database for deployment at Intel.
  • Gathered system requirements, and implemented using Visual Studio and .NET/Visual C++.

13. Development Projects

Development Projects include all contracts, constructions, and projects that may develop an area for housing or commercial construction. These projects frequently require multiple departments to prepare the space for construction projects, including how the construction will take place, who will finance the project, and whether any refurbishments or renovations will be needed.

Here's how research and development directors use development projects:
  • Performed cost analyses on potential product research and development projects.
  • Managed consulting engineers and designers, prototype creation, owner's manual production, and patent issues for several product-development projects.

14. Pharmaceutical Industry

Here's how research and development directors use pharmaceutical industry:
  • Prepared pharmaceutical industry member satisfaction and outcomes tools for cardiac and respiratory medications.
  • Managed pre- and post-award administration of DVA and pharmaceutical industry grants totaling $2.0 million annually.

15. Technical Support

Technical support or tech support are the services provided by any hardware or software company to users. They help in solving the technical difficulties the customers face with their products or services. Moreover, the tech support employees maintain, manage, and repair the IT faults. They are also responsible for resolving the network problems, installing and configuring hardware and software.

Here's how research and development directors use technical support:
  • Coordinated in-house and contract software development, prepared end user's documentation and handled technical support.
  • Managed development and technical support staff as well as defined supporting technical material.
top-skills

What skills help Research And Development Directors find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What research and development director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Yi Yang PhDYi Yang PhD LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University - Abington

In the next 3-5 years, I believe management skills will become increasingly important. Engineers who can bridge the gap between technical complexity and business strategy, driving innovation and growth in their organizations will be very valuable.

What soft skills should all research and development directors possess?

Tom Springer Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Chapman University

-Good communication skills
-Ability to exercise critical thinking and innovative problem solving
-Able to work under supervision and mentoring
-Works well in a team-oriented environment

What hard/technical skills are most important for research and development directors?

Donald Yeung

Professor and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Education, Affiliate Professor, Computer Science Department, University of Maryland - College Park

In terms of hard technical skills, I believe the courses students take along with their GPA in these courses is one level of demonstration. (As I mentioned above, employers know about our program probably down to specific courses, and so if someone gets an A+ in some notoriously challenging course, that's probably known and appreciated). Some employers will give technical interviews and require students to solve problems on their feet. But I think most employers will judge this based on a student's transcript.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about research and development director

List of research and development director skills to add to your resume

Research and development director skills

The most important skills for a research and development director resume and required skills for a research and development director to have include:

  • R
  • Product Development
  • Project Management
  • FDA
  • Oversight
  • Business Development
  • Direct Reports
  • Strategic Direction
  • Due Diligence
  • Intellectual Property
  • Clinical Trials
  • C++
  • Development Projects
  • Pharmaceutical Industry
  • Technical Support
  • Medical Devices
  • Software Development
  • UL
  • Research Projects
  • Technology Development
  • QA
  • GMP
  • QC
  • Quality Standards
  • Java
  • Process Improvement
  • ISO
  • Product Line
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Product Design
  • Development Efforts
  • Product Quality
  • Cost Savings
  • Saas
  • Biomarkers
  • USDA
  • Linux
  • RF
  • CAD
  • NIH
  • ROI
  • Market Research
  • Dosage Forms
  • Trade Shows
  • DOD
  • Catheter
  • GLP
  • Immunotherapy
  • OEM

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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