Senior Level R D Engineer Jobs
Senior level r d engineer jobs place experienced engineers at the center of product innovation, technical strategy, and the cross-functional teams that bring research from concept to deployment. Openings concentrate across Technology & Software, Electronics & Hardware, and Chemicals & Materials, with a mix of on-site, remote, and hybrid settings, and employers like Riot Games, Kraft Heinz, and Keysight Technologies hiring at this level now.
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INTRODUCTION
At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals! As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.
At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.
Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Your Role: R&D Project Manager
As an R&D Project Manager, you will serve as a strategic partner to project leaders, responsible for guiding complex Global R&D projects from concept to completion. You will work at the intersection of science and project execution, interfacing with global teams in Regulatory, Manufacturing, R&D, and Marketing. Your role is critical in ensuring robust, proactive project plans are designed and implemented, helping to manage risk and successfully deliver Elanco's R&D portfolio. This is a role for a strategic thinker who can provide macro-level planning while also managing micro-level details to drive novel scientific developments forward.
Your Responsibilities:
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Strategic Project & Scope Management: Act as a strategic partner to project leaders by independently managing all project management activities for complex, high-impact development programs. You will guide the execution of deliverables by managing schedules, costs, and performance risks, facilitating scenario planning to develop realistic milestones, and maintaining all scope documentation to ensure alignment with strategic goals.
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Timeline & Performance Oversight: Take full ownership of the project plan, which includes developing and maintaining up-to-date timelines and process maps. You will identify, manage, and communicate the critical path and leading indicators of progress, monitor performance-to-plan, and proactively guide team action to keep the project on track, ensuring data completeness and quality across all systems.
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Budget & Financial Partnership: Partner with Finance, functional areas, and geographies to manage the team's overall development budget. This includes consulting with the development team to understand and report on variances, driving re-forecasts, updating budget data in the appropriate tools, and providing the team with a clear understanding of the cost of different development options.
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Proactive Risk & Contingency Planning: Guide the comprehensive assessment of development risks, establishing robust mitigation and contingency plans with clear ownership. You will proactively identify and communicate risks that may affect the critical path and independently trigger the implementation of contingency plans to avoid or mitigate those risks.
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Process Improvement & Shared Learning: Advocate for a culture of quality and continuous improvement by generating ideas for new processes and sharing learnings with the team and function. You will identify methods to streamline effectiveness, decrease development cycle times, and ensure the consistent application of PM tools and concepts to ultimately maximize business value.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):
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Education & Experience: A Bachelor's or Master's degree in a scientific or related field with 8-10 years of relevant experience in project management or a related scientific role.
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Comprehensive Scientific & Regulatory Expertise: A deep understanding of the veterinary drug development process, including the interdependencies of various tasks that require coordination among global teams, functional groups, and third parties. This includes demonstrated experience with regulatory submission processes/requirements and a strong grasp of GCP, GLP, and GMP quality principles.
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Advanced Project Management & Technical Proficiency: Demonstrated mastery of core project management fundamentals and processes as defined by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Strong technical proficiency with project management software, the Microsoft Office Suite, and emerging AI platforms is essential.
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Cross-Functional Influence & Team Leadership: Proven ability to influence without direct authority and guide global, cross-functional teams through complex and ambiguous situations. Possesses strong interpersonal and team-building skills, with a demonstrated ability to develop effective teams with diverse interpersonal styles and deliver effective coaching and feedback.
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Proactive Problem-Solving & Adaptability: A proactive and anticipatory approach to problem-solving, with the proven ability to anticipate and recognize systemic problems, diagnose root causes, and take corrective action to prevent recurrence. Must be able to demonstrate high flexibility and adjust quickly and effectively to frequent change and altered priorities.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
What will give you an advantage (preferred qualifications):
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PMP or CAPM certification, demonstrating a strong foundation in project management principles.
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Direct experience in the Animal Health industry.
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A growth mindset and curiosity, with an eagerness to ask questions and learn rapidly.
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Proven ability to work effectively both on your own and as a highly collaborative team member.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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Travel: Up to 10% annually.
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Location: Global Elanco Headquarters - Indianapolis, IN - Hybrid Work Environment
Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrecognized groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!
Elanco Benefits and Perks:
We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose! Some highlights include:
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Multiple relocation packages
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Two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in the US (in addition to PTO)
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8-week parental leave
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9 Employee Resource Groups
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Annual bonus offering
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Flexible work arrangements
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Up to 6% 401K matching
Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status
Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job-related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.
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Find JobsSenior Level R D Engineer Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Riot Games11

- Kraft Heinz3

- Keysight Technologies3

- Nokia2

- AbbVie2

Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software26
- Electronics & Hardware9
- Chemicals & Materials5
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals5
- Medical Devices4
Senior Level R D Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a senior level r d engineer job?
Employers at this level look for engineers who have moved beyond execution into ownership. Demonstrating that you have led a research initiative end to end, made architectural or methodology decisions, and mentored junior engineers gives your application real weight. A portfolio of shipped or published work, patents, or cross-functional collaboration with product and commercial teams signals readiness for a senior role.
Which companies hire senior level r d engineers?
Companies hiring senior level r d engineers right now include Riot Games, Kraft Heinz, and Keysight Technologies, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Hiring at this level tends to concentrate in organizations with dedicated research divisions, advanced manufacturing operations, or technology development pipelines that require experienced technical leadership.
Are there remote senior level r d engineer jobs?
Yes, though availability varies by industry and role type. About 22% of senior level r d engineer openings are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with lab-dependent or hardware-focused roles more likely to require on-site presence. Roles in software-driven R&D, data science, and computational engineering tend to offer the most location flexibility at this level.
What makes a r d engineer role senior level?
Senior r d engineer roles are distinguished by scope and ownership rather than task execution. You are expected to define research direction, evaluate technical feasibility, and own outcomes across a project lifecycle. Mentoring junior and mid-level engineers is a standard expectation, and collaboration with leadership, product, and external partners is routine rather than occasional at this stage.
Which industries hire the most senior level r d engineers?
Senior Level r d engineer roles concentrate in Technology & Software, Electronics & Hardware, and Chemicals & Materials, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. These sectors drive hiring at this level because they depend on continuous innovation, regulatory compliance requiring technical depth, or the development of proprietary technology where senior engineering judgment directly affects competitive position.