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%
$228,084
TOTAL 50%
$266,841
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)
Locates resources to get information about technical engineering concepts.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Reports the advantages and limitations of engineering management structure to management.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Utilizes both business management and engineering capabilities to handle large-scale projects.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Manages engineering management audits to resolve quality issues of various mechanisms.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Leads workstream management of the engineering teams to complete strategic programs.
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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)
Names various cost estimation techniques, such as reserve analysis and three-point estimation.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Selects appropriate cost-estimating tools to track project budgets in real-time.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Utilizes various computer-based software systems to perform cost estimation.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Recommends overall improvements to cost estimating procedures to reduce future discrepancies.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Fosters strategic partnerships with industry experts to discuss the trends and techniques in cost estimation.
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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.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Documents updates of all programs for internal and external reference.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Ensures adherence to programming standards by checking and fixing problem codes.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Facilitates the resolution of complex issues in programming.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops and maintains documentation of program development and revisions.
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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 the market conditions that impact the business.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Collects and compiles competitor information for competitive analysis.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Applies technical expertise, business sense, and product knowledge to manage the product lifecycle effectively.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Coordinates technical and business teams to solve complex and diverse customer problems.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Builds strong business partnerships internally and externally to drive "win-win" business successes.
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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)
Describes the concepts and principles of budgeting operations.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Assists in developing and improving budgeting models, plans, and strategies.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Compares planned budgets vs. actual expenditures, identifies, reports, and explains variances.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Determines system capabilities and needs to improve the process for financial budgeting.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Develops financial models to support the strategic improvement of our budgeting processes.
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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.

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