R&D Project Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, lead, and execute R&D projects from early-stage research through development and scale-up
• Define project scope, objectives, deliverables, and success metrics in collaboration with technical and business stakeholders
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, schedules, budgets, and resource plans
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including R&D, Quality, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Marketing
• Manage technical risks, development uncertainties, and changing priorities inherent in R&D work
• Facilitate design reviews, phase-gate reviews, and technical decision-making forums
• Track project progress, milestones, and KPIs; proactively address issues and dependencies
• Manage changes in scope, timelines, or requirements through formal change control processes
• Ensure compliance with internal R&D governance, safety, quality, and regulatory standards
• Communicate project status, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership and stakeholders
• Capture lessons learned and support continuous improvement in R&D project execution

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, Chemistry, Biology, or a related technical field
• 3+ years of project management experience in an R&D, product development, or technical environment
• Experience managing projects with technical uncertainty and evolving requirements
• Strong working knowledge of project management methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, or hybrid)
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, Confluence)

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in a technical discipline
• PMP, CAPM, or Agile certification
• Experience with stage-gate product development processes
• Experience working in regulated industries (e.g., pharmaceuticals, chemicals, medical devices, automotive)
• Familiarity with data-driven development, experimentation, or design-of-experiments (DOE)

Key Competencies

• Cross-functional leadership without direct authority
• Technical curiosity and systems thinking
• Risk and dependency management in uncertain environments
• Stakeholder alignment and influence
• Strategic planning and execution discipline

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