R&D Engineering Manager: Lead Prototyping and Teams

Vaco by Highspring; Westfield (NJ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring seeks an experienced R&D Engineering Manager to lead technical teams turning concepts into viable products and prototypes. You will oversee prototypes, testing, and coordination with QA, regulatory, and manufacturing to ensure smooth transitions to production.

The ideal candidate has 5–10+ years in engineering/product development, with 2–5+ years in leadership, strong communication, and a solid background in mechanical/electromechanical domains and tools like SolidWorks,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Science, or related field.
• 5–10+ years of engineering and product development experience, including 2–5+ years in leadership.
• Strong fundamentals in mechanical design, electromechanical systems, or software integration; familiarity with SolidWorks, Python or MATLAB.
• Exceptional communication, problem-solving, stakeholder negotiation, and cross-functional conflict-resolution capabilities.
• Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering Technology preferred.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, mentor, and manage a team of engineers and scientists, conducting performance reviews.
• Oversee project timelines, resource allocation, and department budgets; remove technical roadblocks.
• Develop prototypes and coordinate fabrication, assembly, and testing.
• Provide high-level supervision and technical judgment for design reviews, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
• Partner with QA, Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturing, and Product Marketing to transition concepts to production.
• Align research directions and technology roadmap with company goals.
• Demonstrate exceptional communication and cross-functional conflict-resolution capabilities.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Performance reviews

Communication

Problem solving

Stakeholder negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering Technology preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Vaco by Highspring seeks an experienced R&D Engineering Manager to lead technical teams turning concepts into viable products and prototypes. You will oversee prototypes, testing, and coordination with QA, regulatory, and manufacturing to ensure smooth transitions to production.

The ideal candidate has 5–10+ years in engineering/product development, with 2–5+ years in leadership, strong communication, and a solid background in mechanical/electromechanical domains and tools like SolidWorks,