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What is a research and development manager and how to become one
A research and development manager manages and directs the research and development (R&D;) programs to meet organizational needs and capitalize on potential new products. They also develop and implement R&D; procedures and techniques. Furthermore, they also oversee complex research projects, analyses results, and provide recommendations based on findings. They typically report to a head of unit or director of the organization. In addition, they mostly manage subordinate staff in the day-to-day performance of their jobs.
Their duties and responsibilities include developing concepts, products and solutions by coordinating with other business units, understanding customer expectations, determining and improving technologies used by suppliers, supporting directors in hiring and developing R&D; personnel, establishing project goals and priorities, monitoring team metrics and objectives, managing customer relationships, and performing reviews. A bachelor's degree in the field of human resources, finance, management, or a related field is the least requirement. However, a master's degree may be given preference along with relevant proven work experience.
The benefits of the position are massive. The average hourly salary for this position is $52.15, which equates to $108,464 annually. The career is expected to grow further in the near future.
Avg. Salary $117,507
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 2%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.16%
Asian 17.85%
Black or African American 2.88%
Hispanic or Latino 8.04%
Unknown 4.54%
White 66.53%
Genderfemale 27.72%
male 72.28%
Age - 48American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 48Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Research and development manager career paths
Key steps to become a research and development manager
Explore research and development manager education requirements
Start to develop specific research and development manager skills
Skills Percentages R 16.82% Customer Service 9.98% Project Management 8.47% Patients 7.73% Product Development 5.13% Complete relevant research and development manager training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New research and development managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a research and development manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real research and development manager resumes.Research research and development manager duties and responsibilities
- Manage commercial and clinical GMP manufacturing of intermediate material and bulk vaccine (drug substance).
- Lead cross-functional team for VasoSeal (TM) vascular closure device, resulting in an IDE.
- Manage all system relate tasks such as upgrades, user access review, and training new roadmap owners.
- Manage development and implementation of automate system test framework covering server, client, API, DICOM, and HL7 feeds.
Prepare your research and development manager resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your research and development manager resume.
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Apply for research and development manager jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a research and development manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
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Average research and development manager salary
The average research and development manager salary in the United States is $117,507 per year or $56 per hour. Research and development manager salaries range between $78,000 and $174,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do research and development managers rate their job?
Research and development manager reviews
Investigation. I love to dig and dig to find hidden gems of information that can be pivtol to the project.
There is tons of reading involved, not everything is interesting so it can be a bit much to read and analyze what seems like endless information. But I still love it.
Ingenuity and the fast paced environment while critical thinking to solve the problems.
Updated January 8, 2025
