From researcher to professional R&D&I manager: The art of making ideas a reality
A stimulating profession, in contact with the most cutting-edge research, and with a future projection… utopia or reality? We reveal the main keys about this niche of the labor market of highly qualified professionals.
Some time ago we talked in this blog about the reality faced by most doctoral students and recent doctors: Many researchers reach at some point in their career where they consider exploring new professional horizons. Sometimes it happens soon, before, or just after finishing the doctorate, sometimes after having dedicated several years to research, but everyone is presented with the same doubts and uncertainties.
What alternatives are presented to a scientist who wants to stop research without starting from scratch again and where his preparation is an advantage instead of a handicap when it comes to finding a job? Although the labor market is still going through difficult times, there are opportunities for those who know how to look for them. One of the most interesting options for those who do not want to give up the world of science and technology but want to open up to new perspectives (such as technological development, commercialization, communication), and look for opportunities to travel and develop in multicultural environments is to dedicate themselves to the management of international research, development and innovation (R + D + i) projects.
What is R&D&I management?
Many readers will wonder: what exactly does it consist of about R&D&I management? Speaking in very general terms, it is about developing solutions based on R + D + i that respond to the challenges of an organization.
The R&D&I manager is an enabler, someone capable, not only of having ideas, or good ideas, but of putting them into practice. It can be said that their job is to “make ideas a reality”, a concept that may seem simple, but whose materialization is not available to anyone. Therefore, it is an exciting and enormously rewarding profession, and at the same time, an extraordinary demand, as we describe below.
Going more to the concrete, the person responsible for R + D + i projects must be able to, from an initial idea, give shape and body to a solid project, designing and executing an action plan aimed at achieving the result in the form of a product or service. To achieve this, you will need to estimate, capture and manage the necessary resources, including access to external public or private financing. If, in addition, as usual, the project requires the involvement of several professionals, the manager will also have to assume the coordination and leadership of the work team.
The profile of the good manager
For all the above, the professional management of R + D + i requires a wide range of skills, knowledge, skills and experience, as summarized in the following table.
And will this be for me?
If you have a PhD or have research experience, you are in luck. These types of professionals are very well positioned to dedicate themselves to the management of international R&D&I projects, especially if they have concerns related to the most practical aspect of science and its translation into the market and society. Beyond the specialized technical knowledge, the research activity enhances important capacities related to learning, analysis and solving complex problems. In addition, people who have dedicated themselves to research are often creative and open-minded, while persevering and organized.
However, the preparation of a young researcher usually has important gaps in areas such as communication, marketing and, in general, the rules of the business world. Therefore, it will need a period of adaptation and learning, either through an initial stage in a position of less responsibility or through an adequate training program. Although the training offer in this area, due to its high specialization, is less wide than in other professional areas, there are several options of master’s degrees and courses offered by universities, business schools and, more recently, some specialized school such as RTDI Innovation School. To choose the most suitable alternative, it is advisable to assess, not only, the quality of the teaching staff and the program taught, but also the practical component, which should be as close as possible to the experience acquired in the work performance. Finally, perhaps most importantly, contrast the results,
especially employability, from previous promotions – if possible, even talking to alumni.
Job opportunities
And what demand is there for this professional profile? In large or small companies with a scientific-technological base, you can position yourself in the area of business development, R&D or institutional and strategic relations. Likewise, they are extremely appreciated professionals in strategic and management consulting in R + D + i. In research centers and universities, it is usually developed in the innovation department, or in the support services for valorization and entrepreneurship. Similarly, in public administration, they can hold positions in those departments with responsibilities in science, technology and innovation. Without forgetting, by last the sector of foundations and other non-profit organizations, many of which have programs to support science and need specialized professional managers for their execution.
And so what’s the downside? Or maybe it’s not so much… Despite being an expanding profession, as is the case with other highly qualified positions, the national market is still limited, so it is very likely that, at least in the first years, the young manager will have to explore horizons outside our borders. The latest studies[i] point to a trend of polarisation in the labour market, with greater job creation at the higher and lower skill extremes, and the demand for highly skilled employment in Europe is expected to amount to sixteen million jobs by 2020. Even in Spain, in the longer term, in 2025, 38% of the workforce will occupy highly qualified positions. [ii]
Conclusion
The professional management of R&D is an exciting profession with a promising future projection. In addition, it is an alternative very adjusted to the profile of a researcher who wants to orient his career towards areas closer to the market without leaving contact with the most cutting-edge science and technology. Of course, if you want to start in this way, it is convenient that you complete your preparation and experience in those areas that are not normally developed in research and that are those that define the specific professional competences of the R + D + i manager.
[i] Future skills suply and demand in Europe (CEDEFOP, 2012)
[ii] Spain skills forecasts up to 2025 (CEDEFOP, 2015)
Author: Pepa Limeres