Sr. Manager, R&D Operations

Senior Manager, R&D Operations

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, R&D Operations is responsible for designing, operating, and continuously improving the R&D Operating System across Product and Engineering. This role owns the processes, governance mechanisms, operational metrics, tooling strategy, and organizational practices that enable teams to scale effectively, make better decisions, and execute with greater consistency and predictability. The role partners closely with Product, Engineering, Data, and Executive leadership to drive operational excellence through systems thinking, data, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Own the R&D Operating System

• Define and evolve the operating model, governance mechanisms, standards, and operating rhythms used across Product and Engineering.
• Establish clear decision frameworks, accountability models, and execution standards.
• Drive continuous improvement of how teams plan, collaborate, and operate.

Build Executive Visibility Through Data

• Own the R&D measurement framework and operational health metrics.
• Develop executive dashboards, scorecards, and reporting that provide visibility into organizational effectiveness, delivery health, dependency risk, operational readiness, and adoption of key practices.
• Partner with Data and Systems teams to improve data quality, automation, and AI-enabled insights.

Drive Operational Excellence and Adoption

• Lead initiatives that improve planning discipline, operating consistency, and execution effectiveness across Product and Engineering.
• Establish mechanisms to measure compliance, adoption, and business impact of operating model changes.
• Identify operational friction and implement scalable solutions that improve organizational performance.
• Define governance and operating standards for R&D systems and workflows.
• Evaluate opportunities to leverage AI and automation to improve productivity and visibility.

Influence Through Leadership and Partnership

• Build trusted relationships with Product and Engineering leaders.
• Facilitate alignment on operating principles, governance decisions, and organizational priorities.
• Surface risks proactively and drive resolution through data, influence, and structured decision making.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in Engineering, Product and Technology Operations, or a similar function.
• 3+ years leading teams or operating functions.
• Proven experience designing and scaling operating models, governance frameworks, and organizational processes.
• Strong analytical skills with experience building metrics, dashboards, and executive reporting.
• Experience driving organizational change and process adoption across large cross-functional organizations.
• Familiarity with modern Product and Engineering tooling, data platforms, AI-enabled workflows, and operational analytics.
• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.

Success Measures

• Improved adoption of R&D operating standards and governance practices.
• Increased executive visibility into organizational health and effectiveness.
• Higher quality operational data and reporting.
• Reduced operational friction and dependency-related delays.
• Improved consistency, accountability, and execution across Product and Engineering.
• Measurable business impact from operating model and process improvements.