Sr. R&D Director Job Listing at Kelly Services in Fitchburg, WI (Job ID 10109107)

Description

Sr. R&D Director
Fitchburg, WI (Relocation Provided)

General Purpose of the job:

The Director of R&D (Nuclear Hardware) is responsible for leading advanced hardware research, applied development, and technology maturation for our high-tech capital equipment portfolio in the nuclear space. This role sits at the intersection of long-term innovation, internal product delivery, and technical enablement of operational business units.
 
The Director ensures that R&D investments translate into de-risked technologies, scalable hardware architectures, and competitive differentiation for operational divisions. Collaborating with the Directors of Engineering and Chemistry R&D, they balance near-term execution needs with longer horizon innovation while maintaining rigorous technical standards suitable for first-of-a-kind and regulated hardware systems.
 
Duties and Responsibilities:
 

• Lead multidisciplinary R&D teams focused on advanced hardware systems, subsystems, and enabling technologies.
• Set technical direction and quality standards for development programs, ensuring rigor, repeatability, and defensibility of results.
• Drive technology readiness advancement (e.g., TRL maturation) from concept through engineering handoff.
• Partner with the CTO, COO, and operational GMs to identify and execute strategic initiatives that grow operational businesses.
• Lead R&D efforts that reduce technical, manufacturing, reliability, and scale-up risk across capital equipment platforms.
• Support design-for-manufacture, testability, and qualification strategies in partnership with engineering and operations.
• Embedded or responsive technical support to operational divisions.
• Allocate R&D resources dynamically in response to business priorities while protecting long-term innovation capacity.
• Work closely with Engineering to balance development and execution.
• Build and mentor high-performing R&D managers and senior technical staff.
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, intellectual honesty, and disciplined experimentation.
• Attract, develop, and retain top hardware research talent in a competitive market.
• Provide data-driven input into strategic decisions without over-optimism or under-estimating complexity.
• Represent R&D in executive, cross-divisional, and corporate technical forums.

 
 
Requirements: 
 
Required

• BS/MS/PhD in Nuclear Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field. Applicable experience to be considered in lieu.
• 10+ years of experience in high-tech hardware development, including complex or capital equipment.
• Demonstrated leadership of R&D or advanced engineering teams.
• Track record of moving technologies from concept to product or operational deployment.
• Experience operating in environments with significant technical and execution risk.

 
Preferred

• Experience supporting multiple product lines or operational business units.
• Familiarity with regulated, safety-critical, or first-of-a-kind hardware systems.

 

As part of our promise to talent, Kelly supports those who work with us through a variety of benefits, perks, and work-related resources. Kelly offers eligible employees voluntary benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, term life, whole life, accident insurance, critical illness, a legal plan, and short-term disability. As a Kelly employee, you will have access to a retirement savings plan, service bonus and holiday pay plans (earn up to eight paid holidays per benefit year), and a transit spending account. In addition, employees are entitled to earn paid sick leave under the applicable state or local plan. Click here for more information on benefits and perks that may be available to you as a member of the Kelly Talent Community.

Why Kelly® Engineering?

Your engineering skills are in demand, but how do you find the right fit? Easy. At Kelly Engineering, our team creates expert talent solutions to solve the world's most critical challenges. We connect you with leading organizations where you can collaborate on innovative projects, work with cutting-edge technologies and accelerate your growth. Whether you prefer the variety and flexibility of short-term projects or are looking for a long-term opportunity, we're here to guide you to the next step in your engineering career.

About Kelly

Work changes everything. And at Kelly, we're obsessed with where it can take you. To us, it's about more than simply accepting your next job opportunity. It's the fuel that powers every next step of your life. It's the ripple effect that changes and improves everything for your family, your community, and the world. Which is why, here at Kelly, we are dedicated to providing you with limitless opportunities to enrich your life—just ask the 300,000 people we employ each year.

Kelly is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and we take affirmative action to recruit, employ, and advance qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in the workforce. Requests for accommodation related to our application process can be directed to the Kelly Human Resource Knowledge Center. Kelly complies with the requirements of California's state and local Fair Chance laws. A conviction does not automatically bar individuals from employment. Kelly participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

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