What does a senior manager of research and development do?
Research and Development Senior Managers are responsible for directing the research and development operations of an organization. Their duties include monitoring process development projects, developing cost-efficiency and operational capability, increasing new product categories, and facilitating market trends research. They also assist in processing procedures, packaging processes, and ensuring products are created to meet the health, safety, and quality regulations. Research and Development Senior Managers conduct approvals for new product launches, undertake technical support for issues related to production, and provide work training sessions to junior research and development team members.
Senior manager of research and development responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior manager of research and development resumes:
- Direct and manage the overall GUI development and maintenance of the Java/J2EE base IPCC contact centre product.
- Manage Montreal-based speech auto attendant development, documentation & QA.
- Manage two FDA inspections for design and manufacturing of disposable infusion devices resulting in zero written observations.
- Manage electronics, software and mechanical engineers responsible for the development of the electromechanical system and disposable treatment catheters.
- Manage software application implementation for time reporting/project-costing system to aid in understanding project spending and improve portfolio prioritization and execution.
- Work with the IP and legal department on clearance and IP sharing/ownership agreements with suppliers.
- Serve as QA expert for the company; liaise between all co-packing facilities and ensure the final products meet company standards.
- Organize periodic laboratory instrument and equipment maintenance to meet ISO standards.
- Present to clients to initiate collaborations with academia and industry under FDA regulations.
- Assist chemical manufacturer in developing an acceptable approve EPA sterilant for use in California.
- Charge with oversight and management of strategic project portfolio process including selection, prioritization, and governance.
- Develop innovative business proposal and technology roadmap to consolidate international product lines and establish a product platform for future growth.
- Develop distributed architecture callback and debit card systems design to be used for the small interconnect and alternative network providers.
- Support creation of mobile formats from high-definition broadcast source media by designing, implementing and testing new heterogeneous-base server transcoding infrastructure.
- Mentore material management group in new ERP system implementation, utilization, and planning tools.
Senior manager of research and development skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Senior Managers Of Research And Development are proficient in Project Management, Portfolio, and SR. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Math skills, and Analytical skills.
We break down the percentage of Senior Managers Of Research And Development that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 12%
Coordinated and delivered training in Project Management Fundamentals and Global Collaboration resulting in significant improvements in on-time delivery of software projects.
- Portfolio, 8%
Managed software application implementation for time reporting/project-costing system to aid in understanding project spending and improve portfolio prioritization and execution.
- SR, 6%
Led, managed and developed a team of 26 members with a Sr. manager team of 3 Key accomplishments:.
- Product Development, 5%
Chaired and facilitated new product development gate meetings resulting in early identification of project issues and on-time delivery of new products.
- C++, 4%
Incorporated new technology; use case-based requirements RAD, SQL, Stored Procedures, C++.
- Medical Devices, 4%
Innovated medical devices for masks, dosing drugs, and monitoring patients.
Common skills that a senior manager of research and development uses to do their job include "project management," "portfolio," and "sr." You can find details on the most important senior manager of research and development responsibilities below.
Math skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling senior manager of research and development duties is math skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "architectural and engineering managers use calculus and other mathematics to develop new products and processes." According to a senior manager of research and development resume, here's how senior managers of research and development can utilize math skills in their job responsibilities: "co-chaired and selected speaker at multiple conferences regarding research design, statistics, clinical trial operations, and quality improvement. "
Analytical skills. This is an important skill for senior managers of research and development to perform their duties. For an example of how senior manager of research and development responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "architectural and engineering managers evaluate information to solve problems." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a senior manager of research and development: "experienced with medical risk management files, hazard analysis and traceability requirements for fda 510k, ide and clinicals. ".
Communication skills. senior manager of research and development responsibilities often require "communication skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "architectural and engineering managers must effectively convey information and expectations related to projects." This resume example shows what senior managers of research and development do with communication skills on a typical day: "led project engineers in the development, implementation, measurement, and communication activities for product development and launch. "
Organizational skills. Another crucial skill for a senior manager of research and development to carry out their responsibilities is "organizational skills." A big part of what senior managers of research and development relies on this skill, since "architectural and engineering managers keep track of many workers, schedules, and budgets simultaneously." How this skill relates to senior manager of research and development duties can be seen in an example from a senior manager of research and development resume snippet: "substantiated business case that financed process improvements and organizational redesign to achieve "best in class" status in lease operations. "
Most common senior manager of research and development skills
The three companies that hire the most senior manager of research and developments are:
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.82 senior managers of research and development jobs
- Accenture65 senior managers of research and development jobs
- KPMG LLP24 senior managers of research and development jobs
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Senior manager of research and development vs. Engineering supervisor
An engineering supervisor is responsible for monitoring the engineering operations of an organization, developing strategic processes and techniques to improve staff's performance, and facilitating training and programs to maximize productivity. Engineering supervisors evaluate technology procedures and reports to identify and design new opportunities that would generate more resources for revenues and profits. They also meet with clients and handle their business requirements and specifications, informing them of other services that the company offers. An engineering supervisor resolves project complaints and implements business plans to achieve high-quality deliverables.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between senior managers of research and development and engineering supervisor. For instance, senior manager of research and development responsibilities require skills such as "portfolio," "sr," "c++," and "medical devices." Whereas a engineering supervisor is skilled in "hvac," "plumbing," "preventive maintenance," and "customer service." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Engineering supervisors earn the highest salaries when working in the automotive industry, with an average yearly salary of $114,222. On the other hand, senior managers of research and development are paid more in the technology industry with an average salary of $153,649.The education levels that engineering supervisors earn slightly differ from senior managers of research and development. In particular, engineering supervisors are 11.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a senior manager of research and development. Additionally, they're 8.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior manager of research and development vs. Engineering director
An engineering director or director of engineering is an individual who manages a team of engineering managers and coordinates all the engineering activities within the organization. Engineering directors work closely with the organization's executives to develop new strategies to reduce unnecessary costs and time to complete their projects. They must understand and interpret complex sets of data such as profits, losses, or value of liabilities to identify problems and come up with solutions. Engineering directors must also ensure that safety protocols are implemented in the workforce.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, senior manager of research and development responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "portfolio," "sr," "medical devices," and "cloud." Meanwhile, an engineering director has duties that require skills in areas such as "architecture," "infrastructure," "aws," and "customer service." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Engineering directors may earn a higher salary than senior managers of research and development, but engineering directors earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $164,120. On the other hand, senior managers of research and development receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $153,649.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Engineering directors tend to reach similar levels of education than senior managers of research and development. In fact, they're 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 8.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior manager of research and development vs. Manufacturing engineering manager
Manufacturing engineering managers manage manufacturing process development and enforcement. The managers maintain the proper functionality of a product and the efficiency of cost. They ensure the cohesive work between manufacturing departments and the engineering team. Their main responsibility is to design and operate integrated systems for economically competitive and high-quality products. They need to have skills in teamwork, technical knowledge, information technology, and commercial awareness. It is also necessary for them to have strong leadership skills.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, senior managers of research and development are more likely to have skills like "portfolio," "sr," "c++," and "medical devices." But a manufacturing engineering manager is more likely to have skills like "continuous improvement," "lean manufacturing," "process control," and "cad."
Manufacturing engineering managers earn the best pay in the automotive industry, where they command an average salary of $135,554. Senior managers of research and development earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $153,649.When it comes to education, manufacturing engineering managers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to senior managers of research and development. In fact, they're 7.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 8.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Senior manager of research and development vs. Engineering/maintenance manager
Engineering and maintenance managers are skilled executive professionals who manage the daily activities of the engineering department while directing the maintenance of all types of machinery in a manufacturing plant. These managers are required to develop preventive maintenance procedures and inspections for all manufacturing equipment so that they can reduce machine downtime. They must ensure that contractors are trained to respond to emergencies and follow all the processes that are documented within the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Engineering and maintenance managers must also create a budget to manage the expenditures related to plant equipment upgrades.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between senior managers of research and development and engineering/maintenance managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a senior manager of research and development might have more use for skills like "portfolio," "sr," "product development," and "c++." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of engineering/maintenance managers require skills like "capital projects," "osha," "facility maintenance," and "plant maintenance. "
The manufacturing industry tends to pay the highest salaries for engineering/maintenance managers, with average annual pay of $98,678. Comparatively, the highest senior manager of research and development annual salary comes from the technology industry.In general, engineering/maintenance managers hold lower degree levels compared to senior managers of research and development. Engineering/maintenance managers are 11.0% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 8.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of senior manager of research and development
Updated January 8, 2025











