Research leader job description

Degree/Experience:

- MS degree in related field (preferably in Chemistry or Material Science) plus 10+ years’ experience in project management/product development


"MUST HAVES":

- Proven track record for discovery and development of innovative products to support existing product development and the evaluation of future opportunities
- Requires proven track record of delivering complex objectives in alignment with timelines in a rapidly changing environment, as well as experience managing multiple projects and priorities
- Requires demonstrated success in leading the development of innovative products that deliver significant business growth
- Must have strong leadership and project management skills and a working knowledge of manufacturing engineering
- Must be willing to be hands-on in chemical research in this role, it is not just a "lead/supervisory" role.


Duties/Responsibilities:

- Will be responsible for all aspects of new product development, validation, and quality, managing product pipeline, design; guiding the engineering and chemical team and collaborating with internal cross functional teams to ensure the transfer of new products from research and development into a manufacturing environment engineering design
- Provide the vision, strategy, prioritization, and scientific and technical leadership for the R&D function
- Oversee design and successful execution of all key R&D strategic functions
- Plans and formulates aspects of research and development proposals such as objective or purpose of project, applications that can be utilized from findings, costs of project, and equipment and human resource requirements
- Develops and implements methods and procedures for monitoring projects such as preparation of records of expenditures and research findings, progress reports, and staff conferences, in order to inform management of current status of each project
- Perform actual product research, testing and analysis. Negotiate contracts with consulting firms to perform research studies, forwarding all product and part specifications
- Work with both the quality and operations departments to ensure requirements are proactively integrated into design
- Operates as a focal point in the engineering group for development projects and especially collaborates with sales product management, manufacturing engineering, and operations
- Responsible for leading process engineering and assisting in root cause analysis of production problems relating to materials, products, equipment, and/or procedures
- Responsible for writing patent applications and managing the patent portfolio


Location:
Springfield, MA. area

Start Date:
ASAP!

Duration:
Direct Hire

Hours:
Mon-Fri; 8am-4:30pm

Your journey to building a better world starts here!
WHO WE ARE

We help create products that build a better world across a variety of industries:
Healthcare and Life Sciences Aerospace and DefenseIndustrial

Some examples of products include:
Ultrasound units Robotic surgical devices Molecular diagnostics instruments Radar design and space applications Electric-assist Bicycles
WHY WE LOVE IT

At Plexus, we're at our best when opportunities are met with passion, open communication and teamwork. Our engineers work alongside a global team of experts who engage in projects that span a variety of industries - helping our customers in creating the products that build a better world.

At Plexus, you will find:
A workplace centered on collaboration and integrity Supportive leadership teams that value work life balance through a flexible work environment An inclusive environment which values diverse backgrounds, experiences and expertise Flexible career paths across a variety of disciplines Innovative design solutions and state-of-the-art technology that improves lives
HOW YOU WILL DO IT

About You
We are searching for an extraordinary talent to be part of our growing team. You will have a deep-rooted passion for understanding human behavior and uncovering and sharing insights that build empathy for the end user within cross-functional product development teams.You possess an entrepreneurial spirit and strategic mindset that enables you to see the big picture while creating a tactical plan to execute on near term goals. You are passionate about user-centered design and embrace the constraints, challenges and rewards that come with being closely involved in product development from insight to reality.As the Human Factors and Research Lead, you must be an expert in human factors and research methodologies and capable of consistently delivering creative solutions and conducting high-quality research that meet the needs of clients and drives the development of world-class products and user experiences.You will lead and contribute to projects in various stages of development for clients in each of our market sectors, primarily Healthcare and Life Sciences. This role will consist of coordinating and facilitating user studies, analyzing and reporting on the data. It will also include close collaboration with the design team to synthesize data into meaningful inputs and frameworks for design and partnership with our clients to determine appropriate responses to research findings.In addition to a strong technical background, this position requires exceptional verbal and written communication skills. Communicating with clients, end-users and our internal cross-functional design and engineering teams is critical to ensuring the success of both projects and the User-Centered Design group.This position will enjoy diverse client and global cross-functional interaction and play a key role in establishing Human Factors and Research capabilities and processes as a part of the strategic growth of User-Centered Design at Plexus.Key Aspects of your role Own and contribute to Human Factors and Research activities in all phases of development for physical products and digital interfaces Lead internal and external team members at the project level Drive Human Factors, Research and design excellence by applying appropriate research processes, methodologies and tools Collaborate with local and remote cross-functional teams and clients to understand user needs, customer requirements, develop solutions and ultimately ensure the overall success of projects and products Plan and execute usability studies, data analysis, documentation of results, and presentation of findings consistent with industry best practices and relevant usability regulations and standards (i.e. FDA Guidance Documents, IEC 62366, AAMI HE75, etc.) Advocate and champion best Human Factors, Research and user-centered design practices. Give direction, challenge assumptions and propose the right approach using clear communication to ensure alignment of clients and internal teams Partner with internal and client Quality teams to ensure quality system and standards compliance, contribute to user-related risk management, develop use specifications, and other usability engineering deliverables Support business development and project management teams to engage, sell, quote and win new clients and projects Mentor and teach cross-discipline members of the User-Centered Design team and others within the organization Lead and contribute to continuous improvement efforts associated with establishing of Human Factors and Research processes and capabilities as a part of the strategic growth of User-Centered Design at PlexusWhat you need to be successful Proven success leading both informal and formal research activities in all phases of product development Experience as an internal and client facing research leader and expert Strong sense of comfort in an engineering environment Past participation in cross-discipline product development teams Ability to create order from ambiguous or undefined circumstances Exceptional ability to propose and execute creative and effective research solutions for projects of varying size and complexity Adept at creating research plans, recruiting screeners, writing protocols and scripts, facilitating research, summarizing results and composing research reports Experienced in a variety of research techniques, including interviews, surveys, contextual inquiries, cognitive walkthroughs, expert reviews, card sorting and simulated use usability testing among others Superior ability to conduct effective research for the purpose of uncovering user needs and insights that establish the basis for design, strategy and engineering efforts Knowledge of industry standards and best practices with an understanding of how to meet regulatory body requirements for both formative and summative research Experience sourcing and managing external research partners Experience supporting strategy and design activities such as cross-functional workshops, research synthesis, and the development of user profiles, journey maps and design principles Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to clearly articulate to internal and external customers HF and Research purpose, plans and findings Strong intrapersonal skills Willingness to travel Education & ExperienceA minimum of Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Human Factors Engineering / Ergonomics, Usability Engineering, Cognitive/Experimental Psychology, Industrial Design, Engineering Psychology or equivalent degree Experience of 5+ years in Human Factors Engineering or Human Factors Design Research is required for this position Demonstrated track record of success in analyzing user needs through contextual research, usability testing, and other validation methods to create meaningful inputs for product development Medical device design research experience is required Experience mentoring human factors engineers and cross-functional teams on human factors processes Understanding of Human Factors, Usability and Risk Management industry standards, regulations and guidance is required, knowledge of ISO 14971 preferred Familiarity working in other regulated industries (defense, aerospace, etc.) a plus Consumer product or Market research experience is a plus About Plexus User-Centered Design Group The Plexus User-Centered Design (UCD) team believes that understanding what motivates people and drives their behavior is what empowers design to create better experiences. We apply strategic thinking to all design decisions and promote deep collaboration throughout product development with our clients and engineering.As part of a fully integrated cross-functional team, we solve complex problems, advocate for the end user, and own the design vision from insight to reality.The User-Centered Design team is multi-discipline consisting of Research, Strategy and Design working at the front end of product development. We partner early on with our clients to understand their end user's needs, create the right strategy and frameworks for design decisions and design the user experiences and products that lead to market success and true innovation.We work in three major market sectors: Healthcare and Life Sciences, Industrial, Aerospace and Defense. Our role within Plexus is to advocate for the end-user. We are a highly collaborative, passionate and talented group.
This document does not represent a contract of employment and is not intended to capture every possible assignment the incumbent could be asked to perform.

Some offers of employment are contingent upon successfully passing a drug screen and upon completion of a confidentiality agreement.Our Values and How We Lead behaviors guide our processes. Plexus does not make employment decisions based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and encourage all to apply today!Globally, our policy is to recruit people from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, our company does not typically undertake sponsorship, including for H-1B, TN, and other nonimmigrant visas. Additionally, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants for these positions may need to be “U.S. persons.” “U.S. persons” are generally defined as U.S. citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents (or, green card holders), individuals granted asylum, and individuals admitted as refugees.

• 5+ years of experience in design research, customer insights, lifestyle trends reporting, customer/social/ behavioral research, and creative storytelling.
• Clear understanding of design thinking methods and principles, with a toolkit of research methods - and the ability to adapt them and invent new ones.
• Proven ability to define, structure, and conduct both research (in-person, remote research, synchronous, asynchronous, secondary, primary, etc.) and synthesis (autonomously and as a team).
• Must have deep knowledge, expertise, and understanding of the North American market, as well as a keen interest in the latest consumer technology.
• Courage to "rock the boat" in a corporate environment, ask hard questions, and challenge engrained norms.
• Comfortable working with ambiguous (and sometimes abruptly changing) directives.
• Must have exceptional presentation design and writing skills, image finding skills, and data driven storytelling capability to package insights effectively for internal teams and executive audiences.

Technical Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor's Degree required in human-insight related field, such as human-centered design, anthropology, sociology, human behavior, ethnography, or consumer psychology. Advanced degrees are preferable but can be substituted with equivalent work experience.
• Must be disciplined to self-operate and lead multiple projects in an unsupervised environment with minimum supervision.
• Advanced level skill of Microsoft Office Suite, Miro, and Adobe Creative Suite required, with special skill and fluency creating PowerPoint presentations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and passion for working with key leaders and executives in the US as well as in Korea. Experience working with Asian companies or companies with overseas HQ is a plus.
• English fluency (written and spoken) mandatory, bilingual in Korean nice to have but not required.
• Ability to work in Mountain View, CA required. Currently required to be in the Mountain View office 2 days a week with 3 days working remotely, subject to change.

Additional Information

Work Hours

Incumbent must make themselves available during core business hours.

Physical Requirements

This position will be performed in an office setting. The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers, and reach with hands and arms.

EEO Statement

Samsung is committed to encouraging a diverse workplace and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.