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Summary:

Our award-winning client is seeking a Research & Development Manager to join their team. The Research & Development Manager is responsible for leading the development of new products for Fluance, Electrohome, Nyrius, and Magnasonic. The manager will work with a team of product developers to ensure that products meet customer needs, are competitive in the market, and are profitable for the company.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage new product development projects/product pipeline to achieve the highest overall user experience by developing high performance products that provide the best value to the consumer as a result of superior pricing strategy.

• Lead a team of product developers to ensure they are driving the product development cycle using our Stage Gate System starting with discovery, building a business plan, development, testing and validation, launch, and post launch review.

• Be the central voice of product development direction and ensure suitable communication/updates are being documented and provided to all stakeholders.

• Evaluate and select the best suited technologies for each new product development project.

• Achieve profit margin targets for each product in development by negotiating costs and managing other costs (logistics, amortization, etc.).

• Oversee and lead the Research & Development team, providing mentorship and guidance as needed.

• Empower the team towards achieving corporate objectives, departmental goals, and personal goals by sharing “the why” and the needs of the business.

• Brainstorm new and creative growth and optimization strategies with the team.

• Establish and communicate clear priorities to the team and review incoming projects/tasks and delegate appropriately.

• Collaborate with different teams as the key stakeholder for product and brand strategy.

• Train and develop a successful team by identifying any skill gaps within the department.

• Participate in the recruitment of high-performance staff.

• Develop individual performance goals, conduct monthly one-on-one feedback sessions, and complete annual performance reviews to ensure alignment with corporate objectives.

• Strive to improve team member experience through optimization and automation of software and processes.

• Participate in the recruitment of all Research & Development team members.

• Validate potential business partner’s competencies, onboard and maintain relationships including contract vendors, component vendors, firmware design houses, industrial and mechanical engineering firms, audio engineers, consultants and factories.

• Work closely to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with partners.

• Negotiate directly or provide direction of negotiation to the team for bill of materials, price, terms, and conditions with business partners.

• Organize and maintain terms and conditions, project agreements, and other agreements with business partners.

• Assist with the development of quality control documents and reviewing audits of production and factories.

• Manage the product performance and user experience to ensure a successful product lifecycle.

• Test and validate prototypes and competitor products.

• Ensure proper safety certifications and royalties are applied to each product.

• Develop and monitor the annual department budget.

• Organize and plan business trips throughout the year to meet with overseas vendors and attend trade shows.

• Undertake additional duties as assigned to achieve the objectives and company goals.

Required Qualifications:

• Strong consumer electronics (hardware) experience required.

• Strong leadership skills (will have 4-5 direct reports) required.

• University degree in Business, Marketing, or Electronics Engineering, or a related field.

• Experience with project management, and vendor management are also required.

• 10 years of experience taking products from concept to implementation, with proven results.

• 10 years of experience in product management, project management, factory relations and procurement.

• 7 years of experience conducting competitive analysis and market research.

• 5 years managing 5 or more supervisor level employees.

• 5 years of vendor management experience.

• Strong passion for delivering high performance products that meets product, design, and business goals.

• Technically minded and keenly interested in technology and consumer product trends.

• Ability to work collaboratively as well as independently.

• Strong written and oral skills.

• Ability to manage multiple projects/tasks simultaneously and achieve timely project completion.

• Ability to follow and adhere to policies and procedures related to product development

• Knowledge and experience in negotiation.

• Willing to travel to business partners in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Europe and other locations as required (2-4 times per year) as well as industry trades shows (2-4 times per year).

• Strong computer skills at the intermediate level of MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook).

• Experience in an e-commerce environment is preferred.

• ERP experience is an asset.

• PMP and Six Sigma designations an asset.