R&D Project Management — M5
RDPROG.RDPROJECC016.M5
R&D Project Management — leading the people and processes that plan, schedule, resource, and deliver individual research and development projects (defining scope/goals/deliverables, managing timelines, dependencies, budgets, and risks, and coordinating cross-functional scientist/engineer teams). Distinct from R&D Program Management (multi-project chartering, benefits realization, portfolio alignment) and from R&D Portfolio Management (cross-program prioritization and capacity/risk trade-offs); this focus owns delivery at the project and multi-project team level, not enterprise portfolio strategy.
R&D Project Management — leading the people and processes that plan, schedule, resource, and deliver individual research and development projects (defining scope/goals/deliverables, managing timelines, dependencies, budgets, and risks, and coordinating cross-functional scientist/engineer teams). Distinct from R&D Program Management (multi-project chartering, benefits realization, portfolio alignment) and from R&D Portfolio Management (cross-program prioritization and capacity/risk trade-offs); this focus owns delivery at the project and multi-project team level, not enterprise portfolio strategy.
Focus — R&D Project Management
R&D Project Management — leading the people and processes that plan, schedule, resource, and deliver individual research and development projects (defining scope/goals/deliverables, managing timelines, dependencies, budgets, and risks, and coordinating cross-functional scientist/engineer teams). Distinct from R&D Program Management (multi-project chartering, benefits realization, portfolio alignment) and from R&D Portfolio Management (cross-program prioritization and capacity/risk trade-offs); this focus owns delivery at the project and multi-project team level, not enterprise portfolio strategy.
Material PAY and SKILL differential vs the function baseline.
Responsibilities by level
What this person actually does at each level on the management track — escalating scope, not one generic blob. Your level is highlighted.
- Oversees the daily execution of a single R&D project unit — schedules and facilitates project meetings, produces and distributes project documents, and tracks task completion against the plan in Microsoft Project or Smartsheet
- Supervises project coordinators and associate PMs, assigning duties to project personnel and providing technical guidance on scheduling and documentation practices
- Maintains project plans, timelines, and dependencies in Jira and Confluence, escalating slippage to the project manager and supporting prototype-development logistics for the research team
- Monitors project costs against the approved budget to flag emerging budget issues early
- Ensures project paperwork is prepared and reviewed in accordance with FDA, USP, and ISO regulatory standards
- Leads a skilled team of project coordinators/associate PMs delivering tactical outcomes across one or more related R&D projects
- Plans and implements R&D projects — defining scope, goals, and deliverables and developing the schedules, dependencies, and critical paths in Microsoft Project or Oracle Primavera
- Identifies potential project risks and applies mitigation actions using phase-gate review checkpoints
- Coordinates cross-functional cooperation between research scientists, engineers, and other professionals (via Teams, Slack, and SharePoint) to align objectives and resolve blockers
- Selects vendors or consultants and monitors costs to keep the project within budget
- Manages a department or project team responsible for end-to-end delivery, operations, and budgets across a set of concurrent R&D projects
- Evaluates diverse delivery issues and emerging trends, applying hybrid Agile + Waterfall methods to projects characterized by R&D uncertainty
- Analyzes delivery and resourcing data using Tableau, Qlik, or SAS to forecast schedule and budget risk and drive evidence-based course corrections
- Communicates with key stakeholders to determine requirements and objectives, and leads functional or customer teams through phase-gate decisions
- Mentors and guides junior project managers, recruiting and training staff to build team capability
- Oversees multiple project teams or a critical R&D delivery function over a 6–12 month horizon, holding accountability for combined schedule, budget, and quality outcomes
- Translates business objectives into strategic delivery policies and standards across the managed sections
- Engages senior leaders on functional delivery strategy, recommending project trade-offs based on capacity, risk, and strategic fit
- Optimizes R&D processes by identifying systemic delivery bottlenecks and standardizing the phase-gate and hybrid Agile/Waterfall toolset across teams
- Builds external partnerships with universities or research institutions to extend delivery capacity and capability
- Directs strategic R&D project-delivery areas through subordinate project managers and team leads, with implications across the division's research operations
- Defines org-wide project-delivery methods, standards, and stage-gate execution discipline that govern how all R&D projects are planned, resourced, and run
- Influences executives and major external partners on delivery feasibility, multi-team resourcing, and the schedule/budget commitments the division can credibly make
- Owns the consolidated delivery budget across the directed project portfolio, governing cost performance and reallocation across concurrent projects
- Raises the maturity of the broader PM/TPM community through coaching, succession planning, and improvements to the delivery operating model
Level guidelines
The universal leveling rubric applied to this function — how scope, complexity, collaboration, and experience step up across levels.
| Level | Knowledge & Application | Complexity & Problem Solving | Collaboration & Interaction | Typical Degree & Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Functional expert in project scheduling and documentation with some leadership exposure; applies established R&D project practices within a defined unit. | Limited scope; resolves routine scheduling, documentation, and logistics issues using established practices and phase-gate checklists. | Daily interactions with project staff and peers to coordinate meetings, documents, and task progress. | Functional project-coordination expertise plus initial supervisory exposure; typically prior associate PM/scheduler experience. |
| M2 | Applies project-planning, risk, and budget knowledge to define scope and deliverables; makes judgments within known factors. | Solves tactical delivery problems across one or more related projects, weighing known schedule, risk, and resource factors. | Drives cross-functional cooperation among scientists, engineers, and vendors to align project objectives. | 2–5 years in team leadership or specialist R&D project roles. |
| M3 | Applies diverse delivery methods (phase-gate, hybrid Agile/Waterfall) and analytical/data techniques to evaluate trends across a department's project operations and budgets. | Addresses diverse delivery issues across concurrent projects; evaluates trends and analyzes data to adapt plans amid R&D uncertainty. | Leads functional or customer teams and communicates with key stakeholders to set requirements and resolve problems. | 5–7+ years managing R&D project professionals and budgets. |
| M4 | Sets strategic delivery policies aligned with business objectives across multiple teams or a critical function. | Tackles complex, cross-team delivery challenges where missteps could jeopardize R&D business activities; resolves systemic bottlenecks. | Engages senior leaders on functional delivery strategy and builds external research partnerships. | 8–10+ years with complex multi-team or organizational R&D delivery leadership. |
| M5 | Defines org-wide delivery methods, standards, and stage-gate execution discipline with division-wide impact on how R&D projects are run. | Resolves complex, division-wide delivery and resourcing issues across concurrent projects; defines the methods and governance others follow. | Influences executives and major external partners on delivery feasibility, resourcing, and schedule/budget commitments; leads through subordinate managers. | 10–12+ years including second-level management of R&D delivery and methods/operating-model work. |
Skills
Focus-specific skills the role applies — the relevance layer beyond the occupational base.
- Phase-Gate / Stage-Gate Process
- A review process for each project phase (ideation, scope, business case, development, testing, launch), after which a project is advanced, paused for improvements, or cancelled; best suited to the uncertainty of R&D environments.
- Hybrid Agile + Waterfall Methodology
- Combining iterative/adaptive approaches with structured linear workflows to manage R&D projects characterized by uncertainty and unpredictability.
- Risk Management
- Identifying potential project risks and taking appropriate actions to mitigate them.
- Schedule and Timeline Management
- Developing and managing project schedules, dependencies, and critical paths.
- Budget Management
- Monitoring costs to identify budget issues and managing substantial project budgets.
- Cross-functional Coordination
- Coordinating teams of scientists, engineers, and other professionals to align objectives.
- Regulatory Fluency
- Preparing and reviewing paperwork in accordance with FDA, USP, and ISO standards.
- Math and Analytical Skills
- Using calculus and other mathematics to develop new products and processes and analyze project and delivery data.
- Stakeholder Management
- Communicating with key stakeholders to determine requirements and objectives and resolve problems.
- Mentorship and Coaching
- Guiding junior project managers and raising the maturity of the broader PM/TPM community.
- Microsoft Project
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
- Smartsheet
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
- Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
- Atlassian Jira
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
- Atlassian Confluence
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
- Tableau
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
- Qlik
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
- SAS
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
- Microsoft Teams
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Uses this tool/technology effectively during the delivery of day-to-day tasks.
Provenance
The evidence base behind this profile — every layer is sourced; quality is scored by an adversarial review panel (1–5; passes at ≥4 on the minimum dimension).
Level — M5 — Senior Director
Leads multiple functions or a large department; drives multi-year strategy.
- Scope
- Multiple functions or a large department
- Autonomy
- Owns multi-year strategy for the area
- Complexity
- Org-level trade-offs and investment
- Impact
- Multi-function results
- Decision rights
- Owns investment and org design across functions
- Leadership
- Leads directors and managers
- Typical experience
- 12–18 yrs
Adjacent roles
Nearest roles by structural coordinates (level + taxonomy). Distance 0 → 1; each carries its 3-state match band. How coordinates work → · Compare side-by-side →
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O*NET / SOC
- code=11-9041source=jfm-factory.resolve