Senior Director Research and Innovation

Senior Director, Research & Innovation (Docking)

🚀 Shape the Future of Docking Solutions

Are you a visionary innovation leader who thrives at the intersection of technology, product development, and manufacturing excellence? Do you have a passion for turning breakthrough ideas into scalable, market-leading products? If so, we want to hear from you.

We are seeking a Senior Director, Research & Innovation (R&I) – Docking to lead our innovation strategy, drive technical excellence, and accelerate the development of next-generation docking products and technologies. This executive-level role will be instrumental in transforming ideas into commercially successful solutions that deliver exceptional customer value and sustain our competitive advantage. This position will be based at our corporate headquarters in Carrollton, Texas.

What You'll Do

As the senior technical leader for our Docking business, you will:

🔹 Lead Innovation Strategy

• Define and execute the long-term R&D and technology roadmap.
• Identify emerging technologies and market opportunities that create competitive advantage.
• Align innovation initiatives with customer needs, business objectives, and sustainability goals.

🔹 Drive Product Development Excellence

• Lead the technical execution of new products from concept through commercialization.
• Establish system architectures, design standards, and validation processes.
• Ensure products are scalable, manufacturable, cost-effective, and reliable.

🔹 Accelerate Growth Through Innovation

• Manage a diverse portfolio of innovation, research, and product development projects.
• Apply Stage-Gate and Agile methodologies to maximize speed, quality, and ROI.
• Make data-driven recommendations on advancing, pivoting, or stopping projects.

🔹 Build and Lead High-Performing Teams

• Mentor and develop engineers, researchers, and technical specialists.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Balance strategic leadership with hands-on technical involvement in architecture, design reviews, and problem-solving.

🔹 Influence Across the Organization

• Partner closely with Product Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Marketing, and Commercial teams.
• Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior leadership.
• Represent the company at industry events, customer engagements, and technical forums.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

✅ Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Material Science, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline

✅ 10 years of progressive R&D, engineering, or product development experience

✅ 5 years of leadership experience leading technical teams and innovation initiatives

✅ Proven success bringing new products or technologies from concept to commercial deployment

✅ Experience developing and executing technology strategies that drive measurable business results

✅ Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, product commercialization, and technology scale-up

Preferred Qualifications

⭐ Master's Degree or Ph.D.

⭐ Professional Engineering (PE) License

⭐ Experience with automation, digitalization, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies

⭐ Expertise in Stage-Gate, Agile, NPI, and product lifecycle management methodologies

Why Join Us?

At our company, innovation isn't just encouraged—it's expected.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Lead transformative technologies and products.
• Influence strategic business decisions.
• Build and develop exceptional technical talent.
• Drive meaningful innovation with real-world impact.
• Help shape the future of an industry-leading organization.

If you're ready to make an impact, lead breakthrough innovation, inspire high-performing teams, and bring next-generation products to market, we'd love to connect.

📩 Apply directly or message me to learn more –

John Vandenberg | 4Front Recruiter 📧 john.vandenberg@4frontes.com 📞 262‑496‑5374

Don't miss this opportunity to shape the future!

Apply today and help redefine what's possible in Docking innovation.

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