Skills & Competencies for Research and Development Director

Research and Development Director job profile

JOB SUMMARY for Research and Development Director

Directs and implements an organization's research and development policies, objectives, and initiatives.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Research and Development Director

Ensures research and development activities will maintain an organization's competitive position and profitability. Consults with top management and research and development team and makes recommendations based on research findings and product performance.

Research and Development Director SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$230,213
TOTAL 50%
$269,962
Job Level
M04
Job Code
EX05000081
Education/Degree
JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent
Reports To
Top Management

Research and Development Director Skills and Competencies List

Proficiency Levels and Behavioural Indicators
Salary.com identifies five increasing levels of proficiency for each skill/competency. Some jobs require only a relatively low level of proficiency in each skill/competency, while other jobs will require a more advanced level of proficiency in the same skill/competency. These levels rate the degree of proficiency (skill level, expertise) we expect the incumbent to perform in the given skill/competency for the given job. Note that we intentionally do not associate timeframes or years of experience in performing the skill/competency because that can be misleading. Proficiency levels identify what the incumbent knows and can do rather than how long they have been doing it. Also, note that the proficiency levels are cumulative, e.g., a level 4 proficiency implies the ability to perform all the behaviors at the lower levels.
Check each Research and Development Director skill and competencie below to view definitions.

8 hard skills or competencies (industry competencies) for Research and Development Director

1 Industry Competency – Engineering Management
Proficiency Level -4
Skill definition-Applying management skills and engineering principles in overseeing technical projects and personnel.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites the methods and principles in engineering management to ensure project success.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects engineering projects' documentation for developing process documentation and control plans.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Conducts quality assurance, testing, production, and research and development of product lines.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Evaluates engineering team performance to detect problems and enhance productivity.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Conceptualizes innovative processes with engineering leaders to oversee our major engineering initiatives.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
2 Industry Competency – Cost Estimation
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Forecasting costs and resources to complete a project within a defined scope.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites the characteristics and types of cost estimates in engineering projects.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in performing cost estimations to optimize efficiencies for contracting.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Assesses relevant data to estimate the amount of money, materials, and labor for engineering projects.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Educates engineers in determining the difference between direct and indirect costs in project estimation.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Creates a step-by-step process on how to effectively estimate the cost of engineering projects to save money.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
3 Research and Development Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Research and Development Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Research and Development Director
Proficiency Level - 5

1 general skill or competency (Job family competency) for Research and Development Director

1 Job Family Competencies – Programming
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Executing logic to facilitate computing operations and functionality in one or more languages.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Cites ways how to code instructions using programming languages.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Conducts regular audits to identify program inefficiencies and suggests ways to improve the issues.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Ensures adherence to programming standards by checking and fixing problem codes.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Conducts walkthroughs and monitors the quality of the development activities.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Creates contingency plans for potential problems that could emerge in a programming environment.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
3 Research and Development Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Research and Development Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Research and Development Director
Proficiency Level - 5

14 soft skills or competencies (core competencies) for Research and Development Director

1 Core Competencies – Business Acumen
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Insight into our organization's business, goals, and values. Ability to design and implement initiatives that facilitate successful outcomes.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Describes how our business makes money and our key business objectives.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in designing business models and operating plans.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Applies technical expertise, business sense, and product knowledge to manage the product lifecycle effectively.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Consults on the selection and adjustment of the go-to-market strategy.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds strong business partnerships internally and externally to drive "win-win" business successes.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
2 Core Competencies – Budgeting
Proficiency Level -3
Skill definition-Applying specific policies, tools and practices to plan and prepare projected revenues, expenses, cash flows, and capital expenditures.
Level 1 Behaviors
(General Familiarity)
Compiles a list of basic issues and risks for conducting our budget processes.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in developing and improving budgeting models, plans, and strategies.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Compares planned budgets vs. actual expenditures, identifies, reports, and explains variances.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Anticipates organizational income and expenses to make forecasts and develop budget plans.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Adapts relevant industry trends on techniques in financial budgeting in our organization.
See 4 More Skill Behaviors
3 Research and Development Director - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Research and Development Director
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Research and Development Director
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Research and Development Director skills and competencies

There are 8 hard skills for Research and Development Director, Engineering Management, Cost Estimation, Engineering Change Management, etc.
1 general skills for Research and Development Director, Programming.
14 soft skills for Research and Development Director, Business Acumen, Budgeting, Planning and Organizing, etc.
While the list totals 23 distinct skills, it's important to note that not all are required to be mastered to the same degree. Some skills may only need a basic understanding, whereas others demand a higher level of expertise.
For instance, as a Research and Development Director, he or she needs to be skilled in Business Acumen, be skilled in Budgeting, and be skilled in Planning and Organizing.

It's Easy to Get Started

Get the precision you need to assess, hire, and develop top talent with skills and competencies – see how with a personalized demo.