R&D Operations Manager R&D Operations Manager

Job description
· Open role

Sit at the intersection of strategy and execution for new product development: own product and niche analysis, drive new product launches, manage cross-functional handovers, and lead AI-driven automation within the R&D team.

Full-time
· Permanent Team: R&D Reports to Head of R&D Markets:
Germany
· EU
· UK
· USA

The R&D Operations Manager sits at the intersection of strategy and execution for new product development across our Amazon brands. The role owns product and niche analysis, drives new product launches, manages cross-functional handovers, and is increasingly responsible for building scalable processes and leading AI-driven automation within the R&D team.

The right hire is smart, highly driven
, and able to bridge experience gaps through perseverance. Direct R&D Ops experience is a plus, but it isn't required if you can demonstrate the ability to learn the role and push through the gap.

• Analyze consumer data, market conditions, consumer demand (keyword research), and competitor strategies to spot product and niche opportunities for innovation
• Scrutinize customer feedback and reviews to propose improvements to existing products
• Conduct in-depth product research and evaluate potential offerings for market fit and profitability
• Track and analyze market trends to stay ahead of the competition

• Set and analyze various sales price scenarios (deal, cancellation, no-deal) to forecast potential sales and profit based on expected market share
• Leverage data-driven insights from reports and third-party tools to refine processes and achieve more detailed and realistic results — focused on metrics like conversion rate, Sponsored Sales, Organic Sales, and Advertising Cost
• Determine initial order quantities, sales prices, and ideally appropriate customs tariff numbers

• Generate innovative product concepts that align with our brands
• Proactively review supplier catalogues to scout low-hanging fruit opportunities

• Monitor and report on the first batch of customer feedback and reviews after new products are launched
• Own the Initial Launch Plan (first 6 months) per product, including sales & profit forecast, PPC spend budget, conversion rate targets, sales price strategy, and sales quantity planning
• Monitor actual performance weekly against the plan to understand the impact of launch strategies and inform future planning effectiveness

• Maintain accurate records of R&D-related files, research outputs, and process documentation
• Own and manage the R&D calendar — keeping pipeline, launch dates, and cross-team milestones visible
• Hold everyone accountable to their committed timelines and action items; own re-prioritization and reporting of on-track / off-track status

• Brainstorm with the Marketing team to gather insights before placing orders, and hand over a comprehensive product guide with all essential information to support creative and marketing efforts
• Lead recurring cross-functional meetings between Sourcing, Marketing, Planning, and Customer Experience to keep new product work streams aligned
• Build and own a bi-weekly R&D x Launch team debrief meeting

• Act as the R&D point of contact for Amazon performance metrics, specifically return rates and conversion rates
• Surface insights from these metrics back into product decisions and the R&D pipeline

• Build and document scalable process steps for the R&D team
• Lead AI projects within R&D to automate the current workflow — identifying repetitive tasks,…