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Research and development manager

Between 2006 and 2009, 0.9% of employed doctoral graduates, or 130 employed doctoral graduates, are known to have been working as R&D managers six months after graduation.

Job description

Doctoral level R&D managers are typically found as researchers outside the HE sector at the start of their careers.

A research and development manager (R&D manager) is responsible for research activity, usually in a scientific or technical setting. This usually involves co-ordinating research and management of a team or teams involved in innovation, from theoretical research to new product development. The role is well suited to doctoral graduates with leadership ability and many holders of doctoral graduates go into these positions or progress into them.

R&D managers can often expect to provide leadership and guidance to teams in novel situations or where unusual issues occur, and to be able to select, evaluate and adapt new techniques to fit new circumstances.

R&D managers are found across all sectors of industry where research and innovation takes place and often have a crucial role in the development of new products and business. Many R&D managers take a back seat in active research and instead guide teams of researchers themselves.

Typical work activities

This role covers a range of very diverse jobs depending on the needs and nature of the sector and company in which the R&D manager works:

Depending on the department or the specific nature of the role, tasks may involve:

  • Arranging the testing of products or materials to ensure that they meet quality standards
  • Carrying out fieldwork (collecting samples and monitoring environment)
  • Collaborating with other scientists, sometimes including scientists from other disciplines
  • Developing innovative methods to improve existing products
  • Developing specialist skills and expertise
  • Development of new products, techniques or systems to specification and within budgets
  • Effective documentation of findings, including accurately writing up findings and authoring papers or books
  • Extrapolating data to develop theories to explain phenomena
  • Generating data to substantiate claims regarding the safety and efficacy of new products (this applies particularly to the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector)
  • In industry, ensuring that the manufacture of new products and materials can be carried out without problems regardless of scale
  • Managing a research team (which may include technicians and support staff) or a group of research students in an academic department
  • Operating complex instrumentation
  • Overseeing the integration of new products with other commercial areas, including brand development, sales strategy, quality assurance, legal, marketing and manufacturing
  • Planning and conducting experiments to investigate and analyse phenomena
  • Working within health and safety regulations
  • Writing applications for funding

Entry requirements

A candidate will need excellent technical, practical and leadership skills and have a sound academic background. In most technical roles, a postgraduate qualification will be expected for new entrants, and doctorates are common requirements.

Many roles will also look for evidence of being able to successfully access research funding.

Applicants require:

  • Communication skills, both oral and written, as you will need to communicate effectively with a wide variety of individuals and professional groups
  • Listening skills and the ability to negotiate with and persuade others
  • A track record of good quality research
  • An emphasis on achievement of results and both energy and enthusiasm to ensure that objectives are met
  • Initiative and leadership skills, and the ability to gain the trust, commitment and co-operation of others
  • Teamworking skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with others
  • Organisational skills, to deal with a diverse range of challenges
  • Flexible and creative problem-solving ability
  • Decision-making ability, particularly in sensitive areas such as the allocation of funds or organising staff levels
  • A methodical approach, and the ability to analyse and process data
  • Problem-solving skills, and the ability to find and employ creative solutions
  • Numeracy and the ability to analyse complex issues, absorb information, understand data and identify underlying trends
  • Adaptability and readiness to challenge existing practices and find alternatives
  • The ability to cope with pressure, stress and ongoing change

Salary

  • Jobs and job descriptions can vary very significantly. Starting salaries will usually be between £25,000 and £30,000, but salaries at this level vary widely from sector to sector.
  • Range of typical salaries with experience will be £30,000 - £45,000, and senior managers can earn well over these figures.
  • Starting salaries are comparable between academia and industry, but private sector salaries at senior levels tend to be higher, particularly within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology areas.

Working hours are often nine to five but, in certain roles and specialist areas, shifts may be required.

Sector and disciplinary information

Sector information
Doctoral graduates from 2006-9 working in this occupation were known to be employed in the following profiled sectors six months after graduation:

Disciplinary background
The most common disciplinary backgrounds for doctoral graduates (2006-2009) entering R&D manager jobs were:

Career stories

None available

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