Job Title: Research and Development Engineering ManagerJob DescriptionWe are seeking an experienced Research and Development (R&D) Engineering Manager to lead new product development in a hands-on engineering and manufacturing environment. In this role, you will drive the design and development of new mechanical products and larger-scale industrial equipment, taking concepts from initial idea through testing, troubleshooting, and full production rollout. This position offers the opportunity to make an immediate impact within a growing organization by owning new product designs, collaborating closely with technicians and production personnel, and helping to achieve the goal of releasing approximately one new unit or design per year.Responsibilities
- Lead and support the research and development of new mechanical products and industrial equipment from concept through production.
- Develop new product designs and guide them through the full lifecycle, including design, build, testing, troubleshooting, and transition to manufacturing.
- Oversee and actively participate in product testing to validate performance, safety, and reliability before production release.
- Identify and resolve engineering issues during testing and after products reach the manufacturing floor, driving continuous design improvements.
- Work closely with the R&D technician and engineering team during the development and build of new units, ensuring technical accuracy and manufacturability.
- Support new products as they transition onto the production floor, providing engineering guidance and resolving production-related challenges.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, production, welders, material handlers, and other manufacturing personnel to address issues and optimize new product introduction.
- Help ensure manufacturing teams are fully prepared and trained to successfully build newly developed products, including communicating design intent and key assembly details.
- Drive new product development efforts in alignment with the companys goal of developing approximately one new unit or design per year.
- Provide hands-on engineering leadership while remaining closely connected to the product, shop, and production environment.
- Own products from design through production, including involvement in prototype builds, testing, troubleshooting, and production rollout.
- Offer manufacturing support by monitoring early production runs, gathering feedback from the shop floor, and implementing design or process improvements as needed.
- Demonstrate engineering leadership by taking ownership of R&D projects, guiding technical work, and setting direction for new product initiatives.
- Stay engaged with the equipment and manufacturing environment, balancing leadership responsibilities with direct, hands-on engineering involvement.
Essential Skills
- 57+ years of engineering experience, and strong experience in mechanical or industrial equipment.
- Approximately 23 years of R&D or new product development experience, focusing on designing and developing new products rather than solely supporting existing ones.
- Proven experience taking products through the full lifecycle: design, build, testing, troubleshooting, and production.
- Experience working with larger-scale mechanical, industrial, or capital equipment rather than only small devices or components.
- Ability to hit the ground running without requiring extensive training in this type of engineering environment.
- Comfort working in a hands-on engineering and manufacturing setting, staying close to the equipment and production processes.
- Demonstrated capability in mechanical design engineering, including creating and refining designs for new products.
- Strong troubleshooting skills to identify, analyze, and resolve engineering issues during testing and manufacturing.
- Experience supporting designs as they transition onto the production floor, including manufacturing support and production engineering exposure.
- Comfort collaborating directly with production personnel, welders, material handlers, R&D technicians, and other shop-floor staff in a direct, warehouse-style environment.
- Ability to provide engineering leadership, take ownership of R&D projects, and guide technical work, even without a specified minimum number of management years.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Industrial automation, with experience working on automated mechanical equipment or systems.
- Experience designing or developing material-handling equipment, such as conveyors or related systems.
- Package-handling industry experience, particularly with equipment used for moving, sorting, or processing packages.
- Exposure to conveyor systems; direct conveyor experience is beneficial but not required.
- Capital equipment experience, particularly with larger-scale mechanical or industrial systems.
- Production engineering experience, providing insight into manufacturability and production processes for new products.
- CAD experience, with the ability to work with computer-aided design tools to create and modify product designs (specific software not required).
- Experience with product testing, including developing test plans and evaluating performance of newly designed products before production.
- Prototype development experience, including building and evaluating prototypes as part of the R&D and testing process.
- Demonstrated cross-functional collaboration skills, comfortable working with engineering, technicians, welders, material handlers, and production personnel.
- Hands-on engineering mindset, preferring to stay engaged with equipment and the manufacturing environment rather than purely managing from an office.
- Prior experience in engineering leadership or ownership of technical work, particularly in R&D or new product development settings.
Work EnvironmentThe work environment is very hands-on and non-corporate, with a strong warehouse and shop-floor feel. You will spend significant time in and around the production area, working closely with the engineering team, R&D technician, welders, material handlers, and other manufacturing personnel rather than being separated from the operation. The culture is laid-back and joking at times, with a direct communication style, but shifts into focused "crunch time" when projects need to move forward and deadlines approach. Team members on the shop floor can be straightforward and blunt, so this role suits someone who is comfortable working with diverse personalities in a practical, results-driven environment. The organization is growing, offering opportunities to make an immediate impact, take ownership of new product initiatives, and contribute directly to the development and successful manufacturing of new equipment designs. Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract to Hire position based out of East Brunswick, NJ. Pay and BenefitsThe pay range for this position is $60.00 - $62.50/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits
available for this temporary role may include the following:
Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave) Job Type & LocationThis is a Contract to Hire position based out of East Brunswick, NJ. Application DeadlineThis position is anticipated to close on Nov 17, 2026. Workplace TypeThis is a fully onsite position in East Brunswick,NJ.About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.
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Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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