R&D Engineering Manager

Job Description
Position: Research & Development Engineering Manager

Department: Engineering

Reports To: Vice President of Engineering

FLSA Status: Salaried, Exempt

Hours:
Monday - Friday, 40+ hours per week

Pay Range: The approximate pay range is $123,724 - $185,586. Please note that pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Within this range, compensation will be based on the candidate's skills, experience, education, and other qualifications.

Benefits Summary:
Wipaire offers a full benefits package including health, dental, 401(k) plan with employer match, tuition reimbursement, life, short & long term disability insurance and other benefits such as PTO (starting at 15 days) and holiday pay, all while working with great people, first shift, and in a family-friendly atmosphere.

Additional Benefits:
This position is eligible for a monthly cell phone stipend and an annual incentive program.

Disclaimer: The benefits noted above are subject to eligibility requirements.

Company Information:
At Wipaire we have been engineering and manufacturing aircraft floats for the last 60 years and have become an aviation industry leader of diversified aviation services. Our products are used to convert existing airplanes into sea planes. We support passenger service, tourism, and fire-fighting operations all over the world. Wipaire is committed to investing in our people, products, and technology. Our core values are simple, a win-win mindset, technically adept, work/life balance, do the right thing and have fun.

If these values speak to you, we want to connect! Join this growing company that is proudly producing products made in the USA.

Position Summary:
This position will report to the Vice President of Engineering and will be responsible for leading and overseeing a team of multi-disciplined engineers responsible for electronic, electrical, mechanical and systems engineering functions.

The Research & Development (R&D) Engineering Manager leads the research, design, development, and certification of new and improved products from concept through production launch. This role is responsible for managing a team of engineers and technical professionals, driving innovation, ensuring technical excellence, and aligning product development initiatives with strategic business objectives.

The ideal candidate is both a strong technical leader and a practical execution-focused manager who can balance innovation, regulatory requirements, product requirements, budget constraints, and timeline commitments. It is critical this candidate possesses the ability to translate complex engineering concepts into clear insights for management.

Primary Responsibilities:
1. Provide leadership to teams of multi-disciplined engineers responsible for research & development functions.
2. Provides technical guidance to complex engineering challenges.
3. Set clear goals and objectives for the R&D engineering functions and assesses progress to those goals and objectives.
4. Work with program management to ensure R&D project goals, scope, and risk are defined and project progress is tracked and assessed.
5. Track bandwidth and capabilities of engineering staff to determine ability to take on new R&D projects.
6. Participates in engineering analysis and design to assist in completing development projects and solving engineering problems as appropriate.
7. Recommends outside resources that can assist current staff to meet project goals.

Duties:
1. Manages R&D Engineers ensuring time allocation to projects matches company goals and technical development of engineers occurs.
2. Sets priorities for engineering staff based on company project priorities.
3. Manages and executes major engineering projects within the department.
4. Complies with departmental processes and procedures to ensure product data and configuration changes are effectively communicated to the rest of the company.
5. Establishes what information design reviews should contain and when design reviews should be held in a program.
6. Provides feedback on the content of design reviews for a given project.
7. Works with engineers to develop talent and skillsets that match future product needs.

Experience and Skills
Education, Experience and Credentials

* 4-year degree in Mechanical, Aerospace or similar engineering preferred. Prior aerospace experience in maintenance, project management, or support may be substituted for degree preference.

* 10+ practical aerospace or engineering experience preferred.

* Prior management experience preferred.

* Experience leading new product introductions.

* Background in regulated or highly technical industries.

* FAA DER credentials preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

* Knowledge of FAA certification processes, including new products, parts, manufacturing processes, aerospace drawings, and managerial/documentation control requirements.

* Able to make proactive design decisions and move forward with projects based on available information; able to think…