Sr. Director, Research and Innovation; R&I

Position: Sr. Director, Research and Innovation (R&I)
Position Summary:

The Sr. Director, Research and Innovation (R&I), Docking provides technical leadership for innovation and product development and leads technology innovation and execution to enable product strategies defined by Product Management. This includes enabling execution of product roadmaps through system architecture, feasibility validation, and design. They bridge the gap between front-end ideation and commercial-scale manufacturing, ensuring that the company maintains a competitive advantage through breakthrough products, process optimization (e.g., automation, digitalization), and technology scale-up.

They lead through technical expertise and cross-functional influence in a matrixed organization, guiding execution across R&I teams and initiatives. This role owns system architecture, design standards, and technical validation across all Docking products to ensure reliability, scalability, and manufacturability. Provides technical recommendations on prioritization and portfolio decisions; final prioritization authority resides with Product Management and BU leadership.

* Description of

Essential Job Functions:

* Innovation & Technology Strategy

* Define the long-term vision for research and development (R&D) and product innovation. Align innovation roadmaps with overarching business goals, market trends, customer needs, emerging technologies, and sustainability initiatives.

* Oversee the execution of R&D strategies, ensuring alignment with industry trends and best practices.

* Apply emerging technologies selectively to solve validated customer and business problems, ensuring alignment with product strategy and measurable business outcomes. Manage the end-to-end R&D, innovation, and emerging products portfolio (front-end ideation, scale-up, and commercialization), including prioritization, resource allocation, and disciplined decisions to advance, pivot, or stop work based on data and business value.

* Ensure new products and processes are designed for North American scalability, cost-effectiveness, and manufacturability. Oversee the transition from benchtop formulation/lab prototypes or prototyping into full-scale, cost-effective industrial operations.

* Research Execution & Process Excellence

* Identify and resolve technical risks early in the development lifecycle, including recommending termination or pivoting of non-viable concepts based on feasibility, cost, and performance criteria.

* Accelerate time-to-market using design thinking, experimentation, and rapid learning cycles.

* Oversee intellectual property (IP) strategy and growth, including invention disclosures and patent development, and protect company assets.

* Manage and oversee New Product Introduction (NPI) and Engineer-to-Order (ETO) processes ensuring all scalable designs meet cost, quality, safety, and compliance.

* Establish and maintain innovation processes and governance that support disciplined technical execution, speed, quality, and learning.

* Manage the end-to-end innovation portfolio using Stage-Gate or Agile methodologies to optimize resourcing, mitigate risk, and control R&D budgets. Responsible for technical readiness, validation, and delivery of engineering outputs required to successfully pass each stage-gate.

* Oversee research budgets, determine early-stage investment priorities, and drive continuous improvement toward measurable ROI.

* Supports product P&L performance through cost, design, and technical decisions; does not own commercial or pricing accountability.

* Develop, track, and report Research and Product Development key performance indicators (KPIs).

* Leadership & Collaboration

* Provide visionary leadership for R&D/engineering strategy development.

* Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and prioritize the R&D initiatives that drive operational efficiency.

* Partner closely with Product Management, with clear accountability that Product Management defines 'what' and 'why,' while R&I defines 'how' and ensures technical feasibility and execution quality. Partner closely with Marketing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality, and Commercial teams to ensure innovation pipelines meet customer requirements and regulatory/compliance standards.

* Facilitate co-creation opportunities with internal and external customers to enhance product offerings and market competitiveness. Lead and mentor teams of researchers, product developers, and process engineers.

* Represent the company at external technical forums, industry events, and customer meetings as needed.

* Supervisory Responsibilities:

* Directly lead and develop a team of R&I engineers and technical specialists, providing both people leadership and strong hands-on technical direction.

* Balance team leadership responsibilities with active involvement in system architecture, design reviews, and technical problem-solving.

* Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with organizational policies, including hiring, development, performance management, and team…