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Director Research Development Jobs in California

Figma

Director, Research - AI Evals

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

The Figma Research team is hiring an Director, Research - AI Evals to own how we measure the ... development, and/or front-end engineering * A familiarity and depth of experience using Figma ...

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Director Research Development information

See California salary details

$64.6K

$160.6K

$212.2K

How much do director research development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for director research development in California is $160,576.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $133,200.00 and $191,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director research development?

To thrive as a Director of Research Development, you need advanced expertise in research methodologies, project management, and grant writing, usually backed by a graduate degree in a relevant field. Familiarity with research administration software, funding databases, and compliance systems is essential, along with certifications like CRA (Certified Research Administrator) being advantageous. Strategic thinking, leadership, and excellent communication skills are critical for building collaborations and guiding multidisciplinary teams. These competencies are vital for securing funding, ensuring research integrity, and driving innovative projects to successful completion.

How does a director research development typically collaborate with other departments to drive innovation within an organization?

A Director of Research Development often works closely with cross-functional teams such as product management, engineering, marketing, and executive leadership to align research initiatives with organizational goals. This role involves facilitating communication between departments, ensuring that research projects support strategic objectives, and integrating insights from various stakeholders. Effective collaboration helps drive innovation, as the Director ensures that research outcomes are actionable and directly contribute to product or service enhancements. Regular meetings, joint project planning sessions, and clear reporting structures are common practices to maintain alignment and foster a culture of innovation.

What is the difference between Director Research Development vs Research Scientist?

AspectDirector Research DevelopmentResearch Scientist
CredentialsAdvanced degrees (PhD preferred), leadership experienceTypically a PhD or Master's degree in a relevant field
Work EnvironmentStrategic planning, team management, cross-department collaborationLaboratory or field research, data analysis, experimentation
Employer & IndustryResearch institutions, biotech, pharma, corporate R&DUniversities, research labs, industry R&D
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding leadership roles in research developmentDetails about research-focused roles and career paths

The main difference between a Director Research Development and a Research Scientist lies in their responsibilities and focus. The Director oversees strategic planning, manages teams, and collaborates across departments, while the Research Scientist conducts experiments, analyzes data, and advances scientific knowledge. Both roles require advanced degrees, but the Director typically has more leadership experience and works in a broader strategic context.

What does a director research development do?

A Director of Research Development leads and manages the planning, coordination, and execution of research strategies within an organization. They are responsible for identifying funding opportunities, fostering collaborations, and overseeing proposal development to secure grants and support research initiatives. Additionally, they work with faculty or research teams to ensure compliance with regulations and alignment with institutional goals, while supporting innovation and the growth of research programs.
What are the most commonly searched types of Research Development jobs in California? The most popular types of Research Development jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Director Research Development jobs in California? For Director Research Development jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Director Research Development jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Director Research Development jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Director Research Development jobs? Cities in California with the most Director Research Development job openings:
Director Research Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Research Development job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 73% Full Time, 22% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $160,576 per year, or $77.2 per hour.

Director, Research - Human Data Systems

Snorkel AI

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 26 days ago

Job description

Job Summary:
Snorkel AI is a company on a mission to transform expert knowledge into specialized AI at scale, emerging from the Stanford AI Lab. They are seeking a Director of Research to lead a team focused on developing human-in-the-loop systems and innovative data-centric methods that enhance AI performance.
Responsibilities:
• Team Building & Leadership: Recruit for and lead a team of applied researchers, setting the team’s culture and setting a high standard for quality and velocity
• The Research-to-Product Bridge: Act as the primary link between Research, Product, and Engineering. You will oversee the development of experimental POCs to improve workflow efficiencies and ensure these innovations are successfully hardened and integrated into the platform
• Strategic Roadmapping: Anticipate the next bottlenecks in the AI data (e.g., automated RLHF, agentic evaluation, or specialized model alignment) and pivot the team to develop the programmatic solutions that address them
• Operational Excellence: Partner with the Operations team to validate research-driven workflows in real-world production environments, ensuring they scale across diverse and complex domain-specific tasks.
Qualifications:
Required:
• 5+ years of experience in applied AI, research or machine learning roles, with at least 4+ years of experience managing technical teams
• A player coach who is willing to be hands-on with coding and research
• A proven track record of thriving in fast-paced, ambiguous environments, comfortable managing competing priorities across cross-functional stakeholders
• Enjoys solving real-world problems in the data space and bridging research and production
• Strong, practical experience working with LLMs, agentic workflow
Preferred:
• Experience with data annotation workflows and/or building internal tooling for them
Company:
Snorkel AI is the frontier AI data lab, building the data and environments behind advanced AI systems. Founded in 2019, the company is headquartered in Redwood City, USA, with a team of 51-200 employees. The company is currently Growth Stage.

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