Research And Development Jobs in Alabama (NOW HIRING)

We’re looking for a Director of R&D to lead the integration of Mechanical, Electrical, and Firmware development into a shippable product. This role builds and runs the process that keeps all three disciplines moving in sync, from concept through EVT/DVT/PVT to mass production. You’ll be responsible for delivering documentation and phase-gate exit presentations, with the help of program management.

You’ll work closely with the Director of Validation to make sure test plans deliver real coverage on functionality, performance, and stability, and you’ll plan resourcing and deliverables so programs get built efficiently. 

You’ll define the standards, checkpoints, and review cadences that Mechanical, Electrical, and Firmware all work within, and you’ll be the one who spots where theprocess is breaking down between disciplines before it turns into a missed milestone or a production problem. You’ll also own the process side of our JDM/ODM manufacturing relationships: how design intent gets handed off, tracked, and verified through every development phase.

ENGINEERING PROCESS OWNERSHIP

• Define and maintain the review process for hardware programs (concept, prototyping, EVT/DVT/PVT, production ramp), working with the program manager on milestones.

• Set documentation standards and keep PLM records and engineering change processes current and consistent across Mechanical, Electrical, and Firmware.

• Build in checkpoints (design reviews, tolerance analysis, risk assessments, validation planning) so issues surface early, not at production.

• Maintain full traceability from design intent to shipped product.

CROSS-DISCIPLINE COORDINATION

• Spot where Mechanical, Electrical, and Firmware processes are out of sync and fix the process, not just the individual issue.

• Facilitate the tradeoff conversations between disciplines (hardware vs. firmware, cost vs. performance) so decisions get made and documented, without inserting yourself as the sole technical authority.

• Establish shared engineering standards and design guidelines that all three teams work from.

VALIDATION & TEST COVERAGE

• Partner with the Director of Validation to ensure test plans cover functionality, performance, and stability on every program.

• Feed validation findings back into the review process and make sure they get documented.

JDM/ODM PROCESS MANAGEMENT

• Own the process for how design intent, tooling strategy, and production readiness get communicated to and verified with our JDM/ODM manufacturing partners.

• Build in the audit steps that check offshore partners’ firmware and electrical designs are ready for high-volume production.

Director, R&D 

• Support factory builds by making sure the right process and documentation travel with the program.

PROGRAM & RISK PROCESS

• Plan resourcing and deliverables across concurrent programs so products get developed and produced efficiently.

• Run the process for tracking milestones, risk mitigation, and escalation paths.

• Own root cause analysis and corrective action process when issues surface in validation or production.

• Report program health and process gaps to leadership.

10+ years in hardware product development for complex, connected electronics, with real depth in engineering process and documentation/PLM systems.

• Experience building or running engineering processes that span Mechanical, Electrical, and Firmware disciplines.

• Working knowledge of Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and scaling from prototype to high-volume production.

• Experience with JDM/ODM manufacturing partners, specifically the handoff and verification process, not just the relationship.

• Enough technical fluency across Mechanical Design, Electrical/PCBA layout, and embedded firmware architecture to understand where cross-discipline tradeoffs happen and design a process that catches them early.

• Experience with PLM systems and engineering change processes.

• Strong background in engineering documentation and drawing standards.

• Experience developing outdoor consumer or industrial electronic products.

• Willingness to travel to offshore manufacturing sites (Asia) for tool trials, line audits, and production ramp-up support.

• Formal project management experience or certification.

• Experience supporting international manufacturing builds.

• Knowledge of environmental and reliability testing standards for outdoor products.

• Familiarity with FMEA, GD&T, and tolerance stack analysis.