Plans and directs research and development activities for organizational products, services, or ideologies by performing the following duties personally or through subordinate supervisors.

Identifies, in conjunction with marketing and engineering management, promising areas of research or technology that address unmet needs and have large potential markets.

Communicates to senior management and board of directors overview of all products under development, and their stage of development.

Plans and formulates aspects of research and development proposals such as objective or purpose of project, applications that can be utilized from findings, costs of project, and equipment and human resource requirements.

Reviews and analyzes proposals submitted to determine if benefits derived and possible applications justify expenditures.

Approves and submits proposals considered feasible to management for consideration and allocation of funds, or allocates funds from department budget.

Develops and implements methods and procedures for monitoring projects, such as preparation of records of expenditures and research findings, progress reports, and staff conferences, in order to inform management of current status of each project.

Negotiates collaborations with academia, government, and corporations.

Negotiates contracts with consulting firms to perform research studies.

Tracks industry trends, relevant legislation, and competitor activities.