Head of R&D & Innovation

Nicely Co.; Tulsa (OK); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Nicely Co. seeks a Director of Research & Development to lead disciplined research, experimentation, and innovation in an early-stage company. You will shape processes, establish standards, and build systems that scale while partnering across functions to turn priorities into dependable work.

The role emphasizes ownership, clear tradeoffs, and autonomy as the company evolves, with a focus on responsible growth and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated capability relevant to disciplined research, experimentation, technical discovery, evidence, documentation, and useful innovation.
• Judgment and ownership appropriate for the Director scope.
• Strong written and verbal communication with specialists and cross-functional partners.
• Ability to organize ambiguous work, make progress independently, and document decisions.
• Comfort building systems in an early-stage environment where priorities may evolve.
• Commitment to ethical conduct, confidentiality, security, accessibility, and inclusive collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Set direction for disciplined research, experimentation, technical discovery, evidence, documentation, and useful innovation.
• Translate priorities into documented plans, decisions, and measurable outcomes.
• Build lightweight, repeatable processes for an early-stage company.
• Collaborate across functions to resolve dependencies and deliver complete outcomes.
• Identify risks early, recommend proportionate solutions, and escalate decisions.
• Maintain accurate documentation and handle information responsibly.
• Use evidence and feedback to improve quality and stakeholder experience.
• Communicate progress, constraints, priorities, and results clearly to teammates.
• Partner with Founder/CEO on strategy, budgets, and resources.
• Build the function's roadmap, policies, and future hiring plan.
• Develop future team members through coaching and leadership.
• Balance execution with organizational resilience and growth.

Skills

Disciplined research

Communication

Leadership

Documentation

Cross-functional collab

Decision making

Job description

Nicely Co. seeks a Director of Research & Development to lead disciplined research, experimentation, and innovation in an early-stage company. You will shape processes, establish standards, and build systems that scale while partnering across functions to turn priorities into dependable work.

The role emphasizes ownership, clear tradeoffs, and autonomy as the company evolves, with a focus on responsible growth and cross-functional collaboration.