Automotive Research And Development Jobs in Colorado

Location: Arvada, CO
Salary: $92,650 - $109,000
Summary:
The R&D Project Manager leads new product development and continuous improvement projects for our car wash equipment portfolio, guiding them from concept through production launch. Acting as the hub between mechanical, electrical/controls, software, and chemistry teams, this role keeps complex, cross-functional projects aligned on scope, schedule, and budget. You'll define requirements, manage prototyping and testing, coordinate stage-gate reviews, and partner with manufacturing and supply chain to bring producible, reliable products to market. It's a hands-on role suited to someone who's equally comfortable building a project plan and troubleshooting equipment on the shop floor or at a wash site.
Roles & Responsibilities
• Lead the full lifecycle of R&D and new product development projects, from requirements definition and concept through prototyping, testing, validation, and production handoff.
• Build and maintain project plans, schedules, budgets, and risk registers; track milestones and proactively resolve blockers.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams spanning mechanical design, electrical/controls engineering, embedded and application software, industrial design, and chemistry/water treatment.
• Partner with manufacturing and supply chain to ensure designs are producible, sourceable, and cost-effective (DFM/DFA, BOM readiness, supplier lead times).
• Facilitate stage-gate reviews and design reviews, and keep leadership informed with clear status reporting.
• Manage prototype builds and field/pilot testing at customer or in-house wash sites, including data collection and iteration.
• Own change management and documentation throughout development, ensuring designs meet safety, regulatory, and reliability requirements (e.g., UL/CE, electrical, and water/chemical handling standards).
• Coordinate with Product Management and Sales on requirements, launch timing, and go-to-market readiness.
• Drive continuous improvement of the R&D process itself-templates, tools, and lessons learned.
• Other duties as assigned
Job Requirements
Education and/or Experience:
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering (or equivalent experience); technical background strongly preferred over a purely administrative PM profile.
• 5+ years managing hardware or electromechanical product development projects, ideally in industrial equipment, capital equipment, appliances, automotive, or a similar physical-product environment.
Functional/Technical Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) is a must.
• Demonstrated ability to run cross-functional projects involving mechanical, electrical, and software workstreams simultaneously.
• Strong command of project management fundamentals: scheduling, budgeting, risk management, and stage-gate/phase-gate development processes.
• Comfort on the shop floor and at test sites-this is a hands-on, get-into-the-details role, not a spreadsheet-only one.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate between technical teams and business stakeholders.
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, or similar) and familiarity with PLM/ERP systems.
Nice to Have:
• PMP, Agile, or equivalent certification.
• Experience with car wash, water treatment/reclaim, fluid handling, conveyor systems, or dosing/chemical equipment.
• Exposure to connected/IoT products, PLCs, or embedded controls.
• Experience taking a physical product from prototype through volume manufacturing.
Physical Requirements:
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 20 lbs.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, stoop, crouch, climb and use hands to grip regularly.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Prolonged periods of sitting.
Note: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with the job.
What We Offer

• A base salary annually (depending on qualifications and experience) plus commission. An untapped commission structure designed to reward high achievement. Our top salespeople earn well in the six figures, with unlimited earning potential.
• Comprehensive benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off, holidays, and flexible scheduling
• Monthly Car allowance
• A culture that values innovation, collaboration, and professional growth

Federal law obliges us to provide reasonable accommodation to the known disabilities of employees, unless to do so would pose an undue hardship. Please let us know as soon as possible if you need accommodation to complete these listed essential functions.