Head Of R D Jobs in Albuquerque, NM (NOW HIRING)

Roadrunner Venture Studios is the nation’s leading platform for founding breakthrough ventures in deep technology. Our mission is to turn frontier tech into breakthrough companies for the benefit of the American people. Together with engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs, we build products, create business models, recruit teams, align companies with their first customers, and provide initial funding. Our Venture Studios focuses on advanced energy, advanced materials, advanced manufacturing, and quantum technologies.

At Roadrunner, the future doesn’t just happen — we make it happen. We take our work seriously, without taking ourselves too seriously. We believe progress must be imagined and built — and we build it together.

Roadrunner Venture Studios is launching the Roadrunner Quantum Lab Powered by the State of New Mexico in 2026. This unique quantum innovation lab and venture studio will be the center piece of New Mexico’s quantum science strategy. The lab is currently under construction with tenant and partner engagement already in motion.

We are hiring a General Manager to lead the Roadrunner Quantum Lab (RQL) as a platform to attract, build, and orchestrate founders, researchers, and companies at the cutting edge of quantum. The role will be based in Albuquerque, New Mexico and responsible for building the RQL into a high-performing business — managing utilization, convening activities, lab platform services, state and lab coordination, tenant mix and recruitment, national partnerships, future expansion and buildout, and overall output.

This role reports directly to the CEO of Roadrunner Venture Studio and is accountable for RQL’s performance, including managing the joint venture with the developer and lab management company while driving the outcomes for the State of New Mexico.

This person will partner with Roadrunner and its partners to drive a shared long-term vision for the Roadrunner Quantum Lab, building it toward an internationally recognized hub for company creation, innovation, public-private partnership, and cutting edge R&D.

• Define and drive the lab’s business model, ensuring alignment with Roadrunner’s venture creation model and long‑term objectives

• Set clear priorities across tenant mix, capital deployment, and program focus

• Assess the operational needs of the lab and build the appropriate team structure which may include functions such as program management, business navigation, facilities, and operational support.

• Establish operating plans, performance targets, and accountability mechanisms

• Continuously evaluate and improve the lab’s output, positioning, and economic model

• Oversee day‑to‑day operations, ensuring reliability, efficiency, and high utilization of space, equipment, and shared infrastructure

• Own the full lifecycle of commercial tenants and partner relationships — from sourcing and selection through ongoing management and performance

• Curate a high‑quality mix of companies, researchers, and partners aligned with the lab’s objectives

• Work directly with tenants to drive technical progress, commercial traction, and company formation

• Build the ecosystem and infrastructure to create a sustained pipeline of new venture opportunities emerging from research, technical breakthroughs, and commercialization activity.

• Support the Roadrunner Studio team in converting them into venture‑backed businesses

• Build and manage strategic partnerships across industry, research, and capital providers to strengthen the lab’s ecosystem and output

• Experienced operator in complex, multi‑stakeholder environments

• Experience working at the intersection of technical communities and private industry

• Background managing labs, facilities, or technical infrastructure

• Technical acumen with a commercially deep understanding of quantum science

• Strong across operations, commercial, and technical domains

• Experience with venture creation or commercialization

• Able to manage multiple concurrent initiatives with high accountability

• Strong leadership presence with a focus on execution

We earn trust through fairness, integrity, and consistent delivery. We win together, own together, and run together. We’re building companies that matter, and having a blast doing it.

Roadrunner Venture Studios sits at a unique intersection of frontier research and real-world deployment. We work closely with national labs like Sandia and Los Alamos, alongside the New Mexico state ecosystem — including the New Mexico State Investment Council and the New Mexico Economic Development Department — to translate breakthrough science into venture‑backable companies. This positioning gives us privileged access to technologies, partnerships, and non‑dilutive capital that most early‑stage builders never see.

Roadrunner Venture Studios is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that proudly pursues and hires a diverse workforce. We do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender‑identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws or prohibited by Company policy. We strive for a healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibit harassment of any kind.