VP, Chief Innovation Officer

Senior Director, Research & Development

We begin with dreams. Dreams drive our motivation. Dreams are our future. The world's dreams, people's dreams, our dreams. Our passion creates ideas that make dreams come alive. Technology and products that were only dreams become reality.

All for dreams. Dreams challenge and the Nidec-Group will continue to meet the challenge. For the world's and people's tomorrows; the world's first, the world's best technologies and products; we will continue our part in creating a better society.

The Senior Director, Research & Development is a senior leadership role responsible for defining and leading the organization's R&D strategy to drive innovation, product development, and technology advancement in support of business growth and competitive differentiation. This role provides enterprise‑wide leadership for research, product development, and innovation pipelines.

Role Overview

The Senior Director, R&D owns the enterprise R&D strategy, governance, and performance across innovation, product development, and technology exploration. The role balances strategic direction with execution oversight to ensure resources are focused on high‑value opportunities and that development programs deliver timely, high‑quality outcomes. This position leads directors, managers, and senior technical leaders and serves as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on innovation priorities, technology roadmaps, and portfolio investment decisions.

R&D Strategy & Innovation Leadership

• Define and own the enterprise R&D and innovation strategy aligned with business objectives
• Establish multi‑year technology and product development roadmaps
• Ensure R&D priorities balance near‑term delivery with long‑term innovation

Product & Technology Development

• Oversee development of new products, platforms, and technologies
• Ensure disciplined execution of development programs from concept through launch
• Promote design for quality, scalability, manufacturability, and sustainability

Portfolio Management & Investment Prioritization

• Lead governance of the R&D portfolio, including prioritization and resource allocation
• Evaluate technical feasibility, market potential, risk, and ROI of initiatives
• Ensure effective decision‑making across stage‑gate or development lifecycle processes

Innovation Pipeline & Market Alignment

• Foster ideation, experimentation, and exploration of emerging technologies
• Partner with Marketing and Business Development to align innovation with customer needs
• Monitor market and technology trends to inform innovation direction

Technical Excellence & Standards

• Establish R&D standards, methodologies, and best practices
• Ensure rigorous technical reviews, validation, and verification processes
• Promote knowledge sharing and reuse of platforms and technologies

Cross‑Functional Product Realization

• Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Regulatory, and Operations
• Ensure smooth transition of designs from R&D to manufacturing and commercialization
• Support product launches and post‑launch performance monitoring

People Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead and develop a high‑performing R&D organization
• Build capability in research, product development, and innovation leadership
• Establish organizational structures, performance expectations, and succession plans

External Collaboration & Ecosystem Engagement

• Build relationships with universities, research institutions, suppliers, and partners
• Support open innovation, partnerships, and external research initiatives as appropriate
• Evaluate opportunities for collaboration to accelerate innovation

Senior Leadership Collaboration & Communication

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on innovation strategy and technology risk
• Communicate R&D performance, progress, and roadmap to senior leadership forums
• Provide thought leadership on innovation culture and long‑term technical direction

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science, or related technical field required
• Master's degree or PhD (or MBA with strong technical background) strongly preferred
• Typically 12–15+ years of progressive experience in R&D, engineering, or product development roles
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise‑level R&D or innovation organizations

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Deep technical expertise and understanding of product and technology development
• Strong strategic planning, portfolio management, and innovation leadership skills
• Proven senior leadership and people development capability
• Ability to influence and align cross‑functional and geographically dispersed leaders
• Strong analytical, decision‑making, and risk‑management skills
• Clear communication, judgment, and change‑leadership capability