Requirements

Research and development manager - requirements

As a research and development manager, you could be using scientific research and innovation to create and improve products. Read our career guide to see what the job involves and how to get into the profession.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

What qualifications do you need to be a research and development manager?

For most R&D roles, you’ll need at least an undergraduate degree relevant to the field you want to work in. Several employers look for postgraduate qualifications too.

Subjects to consider include:

Please note this is a beta version. We'll continue to improve our suggestions here so that we show you the most relevant subjects.

Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a research and development manager?

Some R&D roles ask for a postgraduate qualification such as a PhD, as they often require highly specialised knowledge.

Examples of courses at postgraduate level include:

MSc Product Design Engineering
MSc Research Methods with International Development
PhD Design Engineering

What skills do you need to be a research and development manager?

You’ll need many creative and specialised R&D skills relevant to your industry and sector, as well as an ability to manage teams and projects.

Hard skills usually include:

Strong understanding of product development, from identifying a need to delivering a solution
Ability to create, handle and analyse extensive data from inside and outside the organisation
Commercial and industry awareness and an ability to apply this to your everyday work

Soft skills include:

Creativity and innovation
Leadership and management
Communication and teamwork
Problem-solving
Critical thinking
Attention to detail
Maths and IT literacy
Time management and organisation

Do you need work experience to be a research and development manager?

To become a research and development manager, you’ll need several years of industry experience. You may also need to show that you've managed projects and led teams. As you start out in your career, you can gain experience through industry placements. You might get opportunities during your university course, or you can seek out internships and graduate training schemes with large companies that use R&D.