Skills & Competencies for Research and Development Manager

Research and Development Manager job profile

JOB SUMMARY for Research and Development Manager

Manages and directs the research and development programs to meet organizational needs and to capitalize on potential new products.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES for Research and Development Manager

Develops and implements research and development procedures and techniques. Oversees complex research projects, analyzes results and provides recommendations based on findings. Assesses the scope of research projects and ensures they are on time and within budget.

Research and Development Manager SALARY RANGE

BASE 50%
$153,212
TOTAL 50%
$169,619
Job Level
M02
Job Code
RD14000014
Education/Degree
JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent
Reports To
Head of a Unit/Department

Research and Development Manager 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 Manager skill and competencie below to view definitions.

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

1 Industry Competency – Engineering Management
Proficiency Level -3
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)
Supports the team in documenting issues related to engineering functions to maintain operational excellence.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Works with engineering teams to track overall planning and management of projects.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Oversees all aspects of engineering projects, including developing timelines and cost projections.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Monitors the project status at the engineering level to facilitate timely project completion.
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2 Industry Competency – Cost Estimation
Proficiency Level -2
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)
Supports all the efforts and cost estimation work for projects.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Works with the team in the development of a cost estimation model.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Reviews cost estimation at different levels of design stages.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Leads the implementation of new strategies to optimize the cost estimation process.
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3 Research and Development Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Research and Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Research and Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

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

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)
Names relevant computer programming languages such as C, C++, and Python.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Uses object-oriented programming languages in programming.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Uses a programming language to create scripts that automate repetitive tasks.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Reviews and rewrites program codes to ensure compatibility with different operating systems.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Leads our business in improving the programming process and best practices.
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3 Research and Development Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Research and Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Research and Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

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

1 Core Competencies – Business Acumen
Proficiency Level -2
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)
Names our key stakeholders from a business value chain perspective.
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Level 2 Behaviors
(Light Experience)
Supports the planning, implementation, and management of training programs that foster process improvements.
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Level 3 Behaviors
(Moderate Experience)
Participates in the redesign of organizational structures to reflect business priorities.
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Level 4 Behaviors
(Extensive Experience)
Trains others on various business and operation topics.
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Level 5 Behaviors
(Mastery)
Forecasts the short-term and long-term impact of various business cases on P&L performance.
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2 Core Competencies – Budgeting
Proficiency Level -2
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 Manager - Skill and Competency
Proficiency Level - 3
4 Skill and Competency - Research and Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 4
5 Competency for - Research and Development Manager
Proficiency Level - 5

Summary of Research and Development Manager skills and competencies

There are 8 hard skills for Research and Development Manager, Engineering Management, Cost Estimation, Engineering Change Management, etc.
1 general skills for Research and Development Manager, Programming.
14 soft skills for Research and Development Manager, 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 Manager, he or she needs to be proficient in Business Acumen, be proficient in Budgeting, and be skilled in Planning and Organizing.

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