R&D Program Manager

Aegis Sortation; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Aegis Sortation in Louisville, KY, is seeking an experienced R&D Program Manager to drive multi-disciplinary product development from concept to manufacturing readiness. You will own Agile and Stage-Gate execution, align scope, schedule, and cost, and lead cross-functional teams across engineering, product development, operations, marketing, and quality.

Your role emphasizes defining deliverables, managing risk, and communicating with leadership through clear schedules and updated dashboards,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Masters preferred, in mechanical/electrical/controls engineering or product development.
• Strong experience leading cross-functional R&D projects of high complexity.
• Practical experience with Agile/Stage Gate NPD processes.
• Experience with root-cause analysis (FRACAS/ FMEA/ DFMEA) and DOE.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex, cross-functional R&D/new product development initiatives from concept through prototype and into manufacturing readiness.
• Run disciplined Agile and Stage-Gate execution rhythms; facilitate sprint visibility and gate materials.
• Translate strategic concepts into executable plans with defined deliverables, owners, and dependencies.
• Collaborate across engineering, operations, marketing, and quality to remove roadblocks and maintain alignment.
• Own program tracking, risk scorecards, and leadership-ready updates and presentations.
• Plan and execute validation testing including DOE where appropriate.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Agile/Stage Gate

Strong communication

Project management

Leadership by influence

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Electrical/Controls or Product Development

Masters preferred

Tools

CAD tools

Job description

In the pursuit of innovation, Aegis is seeking a strong R&D Program Manager to help lead the development of our next generation of products. In this role, you will own the execution of Agile, stage-gate R&D programs, driving cross-functional collaboration across engineering, product development, operations, marketing, and quality to bring new ideas to life.

What You'll Do

• Lead complex, cross-functional R&D/new product development initiatives from concept through prototype and into manufacturing readiness – aligning scope, schedule, cost, and performance targets.
• Run disciplined Agile and Stage-Gate execution rhythms: facilitate sprint visibility, manage stage deliverables, prepare gate materials, and drive crisp decisions and follow-through.
• Translate strategic product concepts into clear, executable plans—defining deliverables, owners, dependencies/critical path, and the “what it takes” scope of work to deploy new products.
• Partner across engineering, product development, operations, marketing, and quality to remove roadblocks and keep teams aligned—leading through influence as an individual contributor.
• Own program tracking and stakeholder communications: maintain schedules (e.g., Gantt), manage risk scorecards, and deliver leadership-ready updates and presentations.
• Drive early learning through proof-of-concept builds—planning “just enough” prototypes to validate direction quickly and cost-effectively.
• Plan and execute component-level and system-level validation testing, including tradeoff decisions, test-fixture conceptualization, and DOE (design of experiments) where appropriate.
• Apply structured troubleshooting and root-cause methods (e.g., FRACAS/FMEA/DFMEA) to improve reliability and accelerate iteration from field/test learning.
• Manage project budgets and spend discipline—tracking planned vs. actuals, surfacing variances early, and protecting delivery commitments.
• Collaborate with domestic and international suppliers on design guidance and quality issue resolution to keep development moving without compromising standards.
• Partner with technical teams on CAD-enabled development work to ensure designs are executable and reviewable across stakeholders.
• Proactively anticipate emerging risks/opportunities, de-bottlenecking constraints, and keeping momentum through ambiguity.

Embrace and promote by incorporating into your work the core values of Aegis:

• Professionalism: Maintain a positive attitude and strong work ethic. Everyone is accountable for their work. Above all, respect others.
• Customer Focus: Always work to exceed customer expectations.
• Collaboration: Share ideas; train and mentor others to your level. Improve one another. 4. Take it Personal: Complete every task as if your reputation depends on it. Because it does!
• Make it Better: Ask yourself, “What can I do to make our company better?”
• Open Minded: Look at the possibilities and think outside the box. Embrace change.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree is required (Masters preferred), with a focus/background in mechanical, electrical, controls engineering or product development
• Strong technical ability/experience with CAD tools
• Experience leading cross-functional R&D projects of high complexity
• Practical experience in Agile/Stage Gate NPD processes
• Experience with technical troubleshooting and root-cause analysis (FRACAS, FMEA, DFMEA)
• Experience with Proof of Concept development and testing techniques and project Scope of Work development
• Experience setting up components and system level validation testing: understating the tradeoffs and ability to conceptualize test fixtures needed for design validation, experience with design of experiment (DOE) development
• Strong communication and leadership skills
• Reliability practitioner status required (Black Belt preferred, Green Belt at a minimum)
• Ability to manage risk scorecards, maintain Gantt charts, and prepare leadership-ready presentations
• Experience with Scrum is preferred
• Ability to collaborate at all levels of the business
• Experience developing and tracking NPD project budgets and adhesion to them
• Ability to coach junior engineers
• Ability to travel to customer or vendor sites as needed (10%)

Summary

About Aegis Sortation

At Aegis, our purpose is clear: to create raving fans through expert innovation in intralogistics. Our team combines innovative thinking with deep industry expertise to deliver solutions for projects of all sizes, throughputs, and complexities.

Aegis Sortation is a leader in the intralogistics technology and innovation space. Our expertise spans E-Commerce, Freight and Parcel, and Warehouse and Distribution. As a prime integrator, we have a team capable of conceptualizing and laying out complex systems, and completing detailed design engineering, procurement, and field installation across various project platforms. Our commitment to integrating excellence throughout the project life cycle sets us apart, delivering automation solutions to businesses ranging from local service providers to international logistics giants.