Senior Manager, Emerging Tech – New Technology Incubation

Samsung Research America (SRA)

Mountain View (CA)

On-site

USD 179,000 - 246,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Samsung Research America in Mountain View, CA, is seeking a Senior Manager, Emerging Tech - New Technology Incubation who can envision transformative concepts and translate them into structured R&D roadmaps and partnership strategies.

You will engage external innovators across North American startups and universities, build executive-level narratives, and shepherd ideas from whiteboard to product, coordinating cross-functional, cross-geo teams and driving progress in a fast-paced, uncertain

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a technology or engineering discipline required (e.g., EE, CS, or similar); post-graduate degree (MS, PhD, and/or MBA) or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
8+ years of professional experience spanning technology research, product strategy, or engineering with a track record of turning ideas into outcomes
Broad technical fluency across multiple emerging technology domains (AI/ML, sensing, AR/XR, robotics, etc.)
Proven ability to originate and develop compelling technology concepts
Experience building and executing R&D roadmaps for early-stage initiatives
Strong interpersonal and relationship management skills within startup, venture, and university communities
Experience leading complex, multi-team, cross-geographic projects
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills tailored to exec, technical, and business audiences
Ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and drive progress
Must be willing to travel domestically and internationally (20%)

Responsibilities

Concept Ideation & Vision Setting: Generate and develop original technology concepts addressing unmet consumer needs
External Ecosystem Engagement: Navigate North American startup and university landscapes to identify innovations and build networks
R&D Roadmap Development: Translate concepts into structured roadmaps with milestones and partnerships
Partnership Identification & Development: Lead discussions with startups, academic labs, or consortia
Executive Storytelling & Advocacy: Develop narratives and present to senior Samsung leadership
Cross-Functional Orchestration: Align labs, product divisions, and business units across geographies
Market & Technology Intelligence: Track breakthroughs to inform the concept pipeline
Ambiguity Navigation: Structuring loosely defined problems into actionable frameworks

Skills

Communication skills

Cross-functional leadership

Executive storytelling

Adaptability

Technical fluency across emerging tech

Relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree in technology or engineering

MS/PhD or MBA or equivalent

Job description

Lab Summary

Samsung Research America's Emerging Technologies Group identifies and incubates innovative external technologies that accelerate Samsung's development and market position of its industry-leading consumer devices. We proactively research and create partnership & investment opportunities with breakthrough technologies that lay the foundation for the future of Samsung's core products & services across smartphones, tablets, wearables, PCs, TVs, appliances, and more. In addition to driving both the technical and business processes to validate and commercialize new technologies in Samsung's existing products, we maintain a strong pulse on the market to find the next big thing.

Lab Summary

Position Summary

The Sr. Manager, Emerging Tech - New Technology Incubation is responsible for envisioning and championing transformative concepts that can evolve into next-generation products and services for Samsung. This role sits at the intersection of deep technology foresight, creative product thinking, and disciplined execution - translating bold ideas into structured R&D roadmaps and actionable partnership strategies.

In this role, you will ideate novel technology concepts grounded in market insight and emerging research, identify and engage external innovators across the North American startup and university ecosystems who can accelerate practical realization of those concepts, and build the strategic and organizational bridges needed to shepherd an idea from whiteboard to product. You will be equally comfortable presenting a speculative concept to a skeptical executive as you are diving into the technical merits of a promising early-stage technology with a university research team.

Position Responsibilities

Concept Ideation & Vision Setting: Generate and develop original technology concepts that address unmet consumer needs or create new market opportunities for Samsung, drawing on deep knowledge of emerging technology trends, competitive dynamics, and evolving consumer behavior
External Ecosystem Engagement: Navigate the North American startup landscape and university research community to identify early-stage innovations and research programs that can serve as building blocks for new product and service concepts; cultivate a broad and active network of founders, researchers, VCs, and technology transfer offices
R&D Roadmap Development: Translate validated concepts into structured R&D roadmaps that define the technical milestones, resource requirements, partnership touchpoints, and decision gates needed to advance an idea from concept through proof-of-concept and toward commercialization
Partnership Identification & Development: Identify and engage the right external partners - startups, academic labs, or research consortia - whose capabilities best complement Samsung's internal strengths; lead partnership discussions, structure collaborative evaluations, and drive proof-of-concept engagements with an eye towards longer-term commercialization, investment, or M&A
Executive Storytelling & Advocacy: Develop compelling narratives around new technology concepts - including business cases, opportunity assessments, and strategic rationales - and present them persuasively to senior Samsung leadership across R&D and business units globally; serve as the internal champion for incubation initiatives from inception through executive approval
Cross-Functional Orchestration: Engage and align multiple R&D labs, product divisions, and business units across Samsung's global organization to build internal momentum behind new concepts; coordinate cross-functional and cross-geo teams, define project milestones, and drive accountability to timelines and deliverables
Market & Technology Intelligence: Maintain a continuously updated perspective on breakthrough advances across relevant technology domains; synthesize signals from academic publications, patent landscapes, startup activity, and industry events to inform and refine the concept pipeline
Ambiguity Navigation: Proactively structure loosely defined problem spaces into actionable frameworks, bringing clarity and momentum to early-stage initiatives where the path forward is inherently uncertain

Required Skills

Bachelor's degree in a technology or engineering discipline required (e.g., EE, CS, or similar); post-graduate degree (MS, PhD, and/or MBA) or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
8+ years of professional experience spanning technology research, product strategy, or engineering, with a demonstrated track record of taking novel technology concepts from ideation to tangible outcomes (products, partnerships, or funded programs)
Broad technical fluency across multiple emerging technology domains (e.g., AI/ML, sensing, AR/XR, robotics, digital health, wireless technologies) with the ability to quickly develop working knowledge in new areas
Proven ability to originate and develop compelling technology concepts, not just evaluate externally presented ones
Demonstrated experience building and executing R&D roadmaps for early-stage, ambiguous technology initiatives
Effective interpersonal and relationship management skills, with a strong personal network within the startup, venture, and university research communities
Experience leading complex, multi-team, and cross-geographic projects to successful outcomes
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to tailor complex technical and strategic narratives to executive, technical, and business audiences alike
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, highly ambiguous environment and drive progress without well-defined playbooks
Must be willing to travel domestically and internationally (20%)

Special Attributes

Intellectual curiosity and the creativity to imagine products and experiences that do not yet exist
Entrepreneurial mindset: comfortable with risk, energized by ambiguity, and motivated by the prospect of building something genuinely new
Great communication skills: clear, patient, and well adapted to audience and situation — equally fluent in the language of technology and business
Analytical rigor to ground speculative concepts in structured, evidence-backed recommendations and respond credibly to executive challenges and objections
Strong organizational instincts to manage multiple incubation threads simultaneously, balancing long-horizon thinking with near-term execution
Ability to build trust and followership across internal stakeholders and external partners alike, without direct authority over either

Our total rewards programs are designed to motivate and engage exceptional talent. The base pay range for roles at this level is listed below, but may be higher or lower in other states due to geographic differentials in the labor market. Within the base pay range, individual rates depend on a number of factors—including the role's function and location as well as the individual's knowledge, skills, experience, education and training. This is part of our comprehensive compensation package with annual bonus eligibility and generous benefits to help you live life well.

Base Pay Range

$179,200 - $246,150 USD

Additional Information

Disclosure of Trade Secrets

Samsung has a strict policy on trade secrets. In applying to Samsung and progressing through the recruitment process, you must not disclose any trade secrets of a current or previous employer.

Essential Job Functions

This position will be performed in an office setting. The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, and frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

Samsung Research America is committed to complying with all Federal, State and local laws related to the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact the recruiter or email sratalent@samsung.com.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Samsung, we believe that innovation and growth are driven by an inclusive culture and a diverse workforce. We aim to create a global team where everyone belongs and has equal opportunities, inspiring our talent to be their true selves. Together, we are building a better tomorrow for our customers, partners, and communities.

Samsung Research America is committed to employing a diverse workforce, and provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

For more information regarding protection from discrimination under Federal law for applicants and employees, please refer to this link: Pay Transparency

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