R&D Manager

Guided Search Partners; New Jersey; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Guided Search Partners is seeking an R&D Manager in New Jersey for a medical device manufacturing organization. This pivotal role links customer concepts to manufacturing execution, guiding products from early ideas through commercialization.

The ideal candidate will excel in a technical environment, addressing complex engineering challenges and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure successful project execution. Candidates should have a strong background in thermoplastics, injection molding, and medical device manufacturing.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in program management or R&D.
• Experience in medical device or life sciences manufacturing.
• Ability to support product design and manufacturing readiness.

Responsibilities

• Support product development from concept through production launch.
• Transform customer concepts into manufacturable products.
• Manage multiple customer projects simultaneously.

Skills

Problem-solving skills

Mechanical aptitude

Customer-facing communication

Education

4-year engineering, technical, or management degree

Graduate degree preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

Microsoft Project

ERP software knowledge

Job description

Guided Search Partners (GSP)

Guided Search Partners is an Executive Search firm built on Trust, Transparency, Specialization, and Long-term Relationships. We connect high-performing professionals with organizations that value people, performance, and growth—helping leaders find roles where they can make an impact and build meaningful careers.

About the Opportunity

We’re supporting a medical device manufacturing organization searching for a R&D Manager in New Jersey. This role serves as a key link between customer concepts and manufacturing execution, helping take ideas from early concept through commercialization. The R&D Manager will work in a highly technical, customer-facing environment and support product development, manufacturing readiness, tooling, process development, and project execution. This is a strong opportunity for someone who enjoys solving complex engineering challenges, working directly with customers, and partnering across technical teams to bring new products into production.

What You’ll Do

You’ll support product development and technical project execution from concept through production launch.

Key areas of focus include:

• Transform customer concepts into manufacturable products
• Support customers through the product development lifecycle
• Lead product development efforts involving thermoplastics, injection molding, and medical device manufacturing
• Evaluate customer requirements and develop practical manufacturing solutions
• Support product design, mold flow analysis, simulation, and meshing work
• Support tooling, process development, and manufacturing readiness activity
• Serve as a customer-facing technical resource throughout the development process
• Manage multiple customer projects at the same time
• Transition projects to program management once products move into repeat production
• Work closely with program management, validation, manufacturing, tooling, and process development teams
• Partner with validation resources to support qualification activities
• Coordinate work across departments without direct management responsibility
• Support on-time and on-budget project execution
• Participate in design reviews, specification reviews, tooling kickoff meetings, and lessons learned meetings
• Support APQP documentation, including DOE, FMEA, process flowcharts, control plans, capability studies, and Gage R&R
• Support change control activity related to engineering documentation
• Work with suppliers as required to support project timing and quality requirements
• Support troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and process improvement activity

Who You Are

You are a technical, customer-facing engineering professional who can translate early product ideas into manufacturable solutions. You are comfortable working across departments, managing multiple priorities, and helping move projects from concept through launch. You can communicate with customers, technical teams, and internal stakeholders while keeping timelines, requirements, and project risks in view. You would do well here if you are a self-starter with strong mechanical aptitude, strong problem‑solving skills, and experience supporting medical device or life science manufacturing programs.

Preferred Experience & Attributes

• 4-year engineering, technical, or management degree, or equivalent experience
• Graduate degree in engineering, technical, or management discipline preferred
• 5+ years of experience in program management, technical project management, manufacturing, or product design/R&D
• Medical device or life science industry experience required
• Product design, program/project management, and tight-tolerance manufacturing experience required
• Strong injection molding, thermoplastics, and medical device manufacturing background
• Experience with mold flow analysis, simulation, meshing tools, and Design for Manufacturability
• Ability to take products from concept through commercialization
• Ability to read blueprints and technical documents
• Understanding of ANSI/ISO drawing standards and GD&T preferred
• SolidWorks experience preferred
• Knowledge of GMP/ISO quality systems required
• Knowledge of quality inspection tools, SPC, TQM, Six Sigma, or Lean preferred
• Progressive stamping, insert molding, or stamping process knowledge preferred
• Capital equipment project familiarity is a plus
• Microsoft Project, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint proficiency
• Plex, MRP, or ERP software knowledge preferred
• Strong analytical, computational, communication, and problem‑solving skills
• Strong customer-facing, negotiation, conflict‑resolution, creativity, and decision‑making skills

Why This Role Matters

This role matters because the organization is continuing to grow and needs a technical leader who can help turn customer ideas into manufacturable products. The R&D Manager will support development, launch, customer communication, manufacturing readiness, and cross‑functional execution. This is a strong opportunity for someone who wants to work close to the product, solve technical challenges, and help support future manufacturing growth.