R&D Director

Great opportunity for a Senior R&D Director to work with a leading organization at their location in Meriden, CT.
This position is responsible for driving NPI, Research and Sustaining efforts across North America. The role will lead the R&D managers across Software, Firmware, Physics, Electronic and Mechanical design for each site in North America as well as liaising with the Senior R&D Managers linked to each Business Line to deliver on the prioritized R&D program. The role is responsible for process development and improvement to ensure that timeline schedules and cost targets are attained. This position routinely interacts with multiple functions including design engineering, finance, operations, product management and procurement. 

The purpose of the role is to lead engineering delivery in North America for the Technologies Group, both in the short term (AOP delivery) and longer term (LRP delivery). The R&D Director will closely partner with Senior R&D Managers and Site Managers, driving execution of R&D priorities from the Innovation Driver Strategy (IDS) process, ensuring both budget compliance and delivery. The R&D Director provides technical leadership, management, oversight, and guidance to NA R&D site managers. The R&D Director will work with their team to ensure the resourcing and prioritization of capabilities to support both programmatic and strategic objectives and collaborate across the global Technologies R&D team. Required Skills & Experience

• Based at our site in Meriden, CT.
• Senior leadership with considerable people management experience, preferably with experience managing Managers and/or Supervisors.
• Demonstrable experience in leading software teams and projects.
• Experience in developing, deploying and maintaining resource matrices for team competencies and workload balancing.
• Ability to assess needs, guide teams and implement processes across multi-disciplinary groups.
• Excellent communication skills, with an ability to clearly articulate strategic and technical concepts to vertical and transverse audiences.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple and/or rapidly changing priorities.
• Excellent communication skills.

What You Will Be Doing

• Drive the delivery of all R&D activities in NA – reporting monthly on progress and escalating risks and priority conflicts as needed, comprising:
• New Product Development (NPI)
• Sustaining Engineering
• Value Analysis & Value Engineering (VAVE)
• Research & Advanced Development
• Lead the team of Site R&D Managers in North America Technologies Group sites to schedule and prioritize R&D resources for the timely delivery of R&D projects.
• Monitor and report the delivery to plan of all R&D projects, based on priorities set by the IDS process.
• Communication of status to VP R&D and BLVPs.
• Contribute to the development of the R&D delivery plan, linked to IDS. Ensure the NA R&D team is structured appropriately and has the skills to deliver the short term (AOP) and long term (LRP) goals.
• Work with the Co-Innovation Leads and Technology Director to maintain visibility of partnerships and collaboration opportunities, ensuring the R&D team has the necessary skills internally, and that we are collaborating with the optimum partner organizations externally for the most effective innovation leading to new products and markets.
• Work collaboratively with the global Senior R&D Managers to ensure that resources are visible and made available for the priority projects, and that common practices in R&D are adopted.
• Work with the Senior R&D Managers and the Technology Owner community to develop and apply standardized design criteria and use common building blocks of technology.
• Represent R&D in product development and sustaining engineering project reviews including stage gate and VPM reviews.
• Ensure product R&D support of manufacturing operations when required through escalation to become design changes.
• Ensure best practice is applied in product development for standards adherence and meeting the global technical requirements for new products.
• Work with Product Line Managers (PLM) to develop the annual plans for required NPI performance to achieve Group targets.
• Establish NPI, Sustaining and VAVE performance metrics with periodic reporting and variance analysis.
• Drive a performance-based culture encouraging the leaders of the business to develop measurable goals and objectives for themselves and their teams that support our values and standards.
  

Accountabilities:

• Functional management of direct reports for R&D site activities.
• Responsible and Accountable for NA R&D budget.
• Accountable and Responsible for R&D phases On Time Delivery for NA strategic New Product Development and Introduction, meeting the goals of AOP.
• Providing status report updates to VP R&D, NA Division Presidents and OPCOM.
• Develop and maintain key performance indicators (KPIs) to support MBS and associated goals.

The Offer

• 20% management bonus

You will receive the following benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Vacation Time
• Basic Life/AD&D
• Disability
• Commuter Benefits
• 401K

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the US on a full-time basis now and in the future.