R&D Program Manager

Take your next career step at ABB with a global team that is energizing the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. At ABB, we have the clear goal of driving diversity and inclusion across all dimensions: gender, LGBTQ+, abilities, ethnicity and generations. Together, we are embarking on a journey where each and every one of us, individually and collectively, welcomes and celebrates individual differences.

The role will require leading multiple strands of activities including market research, innovation/product strategy development and associated R&D projects. You will be working with our global Business and R&D teams with a truly global leader in process industries, providing many opportunities for personal and professional development. The position is based in our new R&D Center in Dundalk, Ireland. Other locations will be considered. Occasional international travel will be required. ABB Ireland embraces flexible working policies.

Your responsibilities

• Product strategy - Leads product and solution strategy creation. Contributes to business strategy definition and translates business strategy into the product and solution portfolio through market and customer segmentation, and continuously analyses the content of the portfolio with a focus on new potential products/markets.
• Market situation analysis - Leads market situation and product gap analysis to determine global market valuation and appropriate segmentation and identify product gaps.
• Innovation - Initiates and drives cross functional and cross-organization product and solution innovation teams.
• Product values - Defines product customer values per segment and ensures clear communication to users, to deliver clear product positioning within the portfolio with defined values per product line.
• Project leadership - Leads and manages R&D projects and coordinates work of cross-functional project teams. Motivates and monitors internal and/or external resources to accomplish all tasks and milestones.
• Project and program management - Manages the cost, schedule and performance objectives of the projects within a program. Manages interdependencies between projects in order to realize specified benefits. Ensures appropriate requirements within a program by partnering with product management.
• Value management - Ensures understanding of customer value in the projects and acts to ensure customer satisfaction and manage expectations. Take into consideration requirements and demands coming from customers and from internally within ABB.
• Manage uncertainties and risks - Ensures transparency around change requests, unforeseen results/events and identified risks and ensures that they are properly managed and communicated. Ensures that all opportunities are captured and acted upon.
• Stakeholder relations - Serves as the key contact for stakeholders, and an escalation point for program/project issues. Effectively communicates appropriate information to stakeholders in a timely manner and to achieve desired understanding and support.
• Collaboration - Leads in partnership with business managers, steering committees, product management, factory other internal functions and external parties. Coordinates activities with product and business management.
• Projects, processes and tools - Initiates the development of and implements project management requirements, processes, methods, techniques, tools, handbooks and guidelines.
• Networking - Develops, manages and expands relationships with stakeholders, internal functions, Corporate Research Centers and external relevant parties (e.g. suppliers, customers, academia). Provides proposals for possible partnerships.

Your background

• Essential:
• Bachelor’s Degree in an Engineering, Science or related discipline
• 10+ years’ experience of leading innovation and R&D projects through the full product development and new product introduction cycles
• Experience with developing innovation strategy for industry
• Experience with managing new product commercialization in a high-performance engineering industry
• Experience with new product introduction models and programs
• Experience with developing and managing strategic technology and innovation roadmaps
• Proven record of successful management of large and complex R&D projects
• Proven record of successful leadership of process improvement and digitalization programs
• Strong Project Management background
• Familiar with development models and processes such as Agile, Lean Product Development
• Strong leadership skills
• Cultural sensitivity to work across geographic borders
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills
• Strategic orientation and thinking
• Ability to cope with changing priorities and multiple assignments
• Excellent written and spoken English language skills
• Strong desire to learn
• Desirable:
• Master’s Degree in Engineering, Business, Strategy, or Innovation
• Experience in process industries.
• PMP certification preferred.