Research and development manager

Description

Research and development managers coordinate the efforts of scientists, academical researchers, product developers, and market researchers towards the creation of new products, the improvement of current ones or other research activities, including scientific research. They manage and plan research and development activities of an organisation, specify goals and budget requirements and manage the staff.

Includes people performing academical research work, product development research and business research and development.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to research and development manager:

research and development supervisor
researcher
market research manager
product research development manager
research and development director
research and development associate

Minimum qualifications

Bachelor’s degree is generally required to work as research and development manager. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Research and development manager is a Skill level 4 occupation.

Research and development manager career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to research and development manager.

banking products manager
insurance product manager
product development manager
product manager
business economics researcher

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of research and development manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of research and development manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of research and development manager.

Intellectual property law: The regulations that govern the set of rights protecting products of the intellect from unlawful infringement.
Innovation processes: The techniques, models, methods and strategies which contribute to the promotion of steps towards innovation.
Corporate social responsibility: The handling or managing of business processes in a responsible and ethical manner considering the economic responsibility towards shareholders as equally important as the responsibility towards environmental and social stakeholders.
Project management: Understand project management and the activities which comprise this area. Know the variables implied in project management such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.
Market research: The processes, techniques, and purposes comprised in the first step for developing marketing strategies such as the collection of information about customers and the definition of segments and targets.
Marketing principles: The principles of managing the relationship between consumers and products or services for the purpose of increasing sales and improving advertising techniques.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of research and development manager.

Work in an economically efficient manner: Perform work processes as efficiently as possible, avoiding the waste of materials, time, and energy as much as possible.
Carry out strategic research: Research long term possibilities for improvements and plan steps to achieve them.
Represent the organisation: Act as representative of the institution, company or organisation to the outside world.
Assess the feasibility of implementing developments: Study developments and innovation proposals in order to determine their applicability in the business and their feasibility of implementation from various fronts such as economic impact, business image, and consumer response.
Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget.
Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff.
Analyse business objectives: Study data according to business strategies and objectives and make both short-term and long-term strategic plans.
Analyse internal factors of companies: Research and understand various internal factors that influence the operation of companies such as its culture, strategic foundation, products, prices, and available resources.
Report analysis results: Produce research documents or give presentations to report the results of a conducted research and analysis project, indicating the analysis procedures and methods which led to the results, as well as potential interpretations of the results.
Analyse external factors of companies: Perform research and analysis of the external factor pertaining to companies such as consumers, position in the market, competitors, and political situation.
Identify new business opportunities: Pursue potential customers or products in order to generate additional sales and ensure growth.
Manage research and development projects: Plan, organise, direct and follow up on projects aimed at developing new products, implementing innovative services, or further developing existing ones.
Seek innovation in current practices: Search for improvements and present innovative solutions, creativity and alternative thinking to develop new technologies, methods or ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Perform market research: Gather, assess and represent data about target market and customers in order to facilitate strategic development and feasibility studies. Identify market trends.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of research and development manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Interview techniques: The techniques for getting information out of people by asking the right questions in the right way and to make them feel comfortable.
Funding methods: The financial possibilities for funding projects such as the traditional ones, namely loans, venture capital, public or private grants up to alternative methods such as crowdfunding.
Marketing management: The academic discipline and function in an organisation which focuses on the market research, market development, and the creation of marketing campaigns to raise awareness on the company’s services and products.
Risk management: The process of identifying, assessing, and prioritising of all types of risks and where they could come from, such as natural causes, legal changes, or uncertainty in any given context, and the methods on dealing with risks effectively.
Cost management: The process of planning, monitoring and adjusting the expenses and revenues of a business in order to achieve cost efficiency and capability.
Commercial law: The legal regulations that govern a specific commercial activity.
Sales strategies: The principles concerning customer behaviour and target markets with the aim of promotion and sales of a product or a service.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of research and development manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Analyse market financial trends: Monitor and forecast the tendencies of a financial market to move in a particular direction over time.
Plan product management: Manage the scheduling of procedures which aim to maximise sales objectives, such as forecasting market trends, product placement, and sales planning.
Contact scientists: Listen, reply, and establish a fluid communication relationship with scientists in order to extrapolate their findings and information into a varied array of applications including business and industry.
Develop product policies: Create product policies oriented around customers.
Create a financial plan: Develop a financial plan according to financial and client regulations, including an investor profile, financial advice, and negotiation and transaction plans.
Analyse economic trends: Analyse developments in national or international trade, business relations, banking, and developments in public finance and how these factors interact with one another in a given economic context.
Interview people: Interview people in a range of different circumstances.
Ensure quality of final product: Ensure that finished products meet or exceed company specifications.
Identify customer’s needs: Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
Analyse consumer buying trends: Analyse buying habits or currently prevalent customer behaviour.
Apply scientific methods: Apply scientific methods and techniques to investigate phenomena, by acquiring new knowledge or correcting and integrating previous knowledge.
Keep updated on innovations in various business fields: Be informed and acquainted with innovations and trends in different industrial and business fields for application in business development.
Conduct research interview: Use professional researching and interviewing methods and techniques to gather relevant data, facts or information, to gain new insights and to fully comprehend the message of the interviewee.
Collaborate with engineers: Work closely and communicate with engineers on designs or new products.
Integrate shareholders’ interests in business plans: Listen to the perspectives, interests, and vision of the owners of the company in order to translate those guidelines into pragmatic business actions and plans.
Manage product testing: Oversee the testing procedures to ensure that the end-product complies with the quality and safety requirements.
Provide improvement strategies: Identify root causes of problems and submit proposals for effective and long-term solutions.
Assist scientific research: Assist engineers or scientists with conducting experiments, performing analysis, developing new products or processes, constructing theory, and quality control.
Analyse financial risk: Identify and analyse risks that could impact an organisation or individual financially, such as credit and market risks, and propose solutions to cover against those risks.
Keep up with trends: Monitor and follow new trends and developments in specific sectors.
Analyse production processes for improvement: Analyse production processes leading toward improvement. Analyse in order to reduce production losses and overall manufacturing costs.
Develop product design: Convert market requirements into product design and development.

ISCO group and title

1223 – Research and development managers

 

 


 

 

References
  1. Research and development manager – ESCO
Last updated on August 8, 2022