R&D Manager

SLS Alliance is seeking an accomplished R&D Manager — Smart Locker Systems to lead the next stage of product innovation for advanced smart locker solutions developed for real-world infrastructure environments. This is a high-impact, full-time onsite leadership role based in Georgia, created for a proven R&D leader who can turn product vision into production-ready results across mechanical, electronics, and software domains.

In this position, you will own the R&D roadmap, accelerate development execution, and lead the creation of new smart locker products and modules from architecture through prototyping, pre-series builds, and mass-production readiness. You will play a critical role in improving reliability, reducing product cost, increasing development speed, and establishing a disciplined development process that supports scalable growth. For experienced professionals motivated by measurable outcomes, technical leadership, and product excellence, this is a unique opportunity to make a visible and lasting impact.

Mission

• Lead the R&D function for Smart Locker Systems and turn strategic product objectives into production-ready, commercially valuable solutions.


• Build and execute a focused R&D roadmap that delivers new product modules, strengthens existing product performance, and supports long-term competitiveness.


• Create robust, scalable product architecture across mechanical, electronics, and software domains to ensure reliable operation in real-world environments.


• Accelerate development cycles while maintaining engineering discipline, validation rigor, and readiness for industrialization.


• Drive measurable business value through faster launches, improved reliability, optimized cost structure, and stronger development governance.


• Establish an R&D operating model that supports innovation, quality, and repeatable execution from prototype to mass production.

Requirements

• Significant senior-level experience in hardware product R&D, including leadership responsibility for new product development and cross-functional engineering execution.


• Proven track record of delivering measurable results in product development, including roadmap execution, successful launches, production readiness, and product improvement initiatives.


• Direct experience with smart lockers, kiosks, vending systems, or closely related connected hardware/device products.


• Strong expertise in end-to-end hardware product development, from concept and architecture definition through prototyping, validation, pre-series builds, and mass-production release.


• Demonstrated ability to define product architecture across mechanical, electronics, and software components.


• Hands-on experience leading the development of new product modules and integrated hardware systems.


• Solid background in IoT-connected devices and the technical considerations involved in connected product ecosystems.


• Experience improving product reliability through engineering validation, structured testing, troubleshooting, and continuous design refinement.


• Strong capability in cost optimization, including BOM reduction, component rationalization, value engineering, and assembly efficiency improvement.


• Experience overseeing prototyping and testing phases with a focus on technical rigor, speed, and readiness for scale.


• Practical experience managing pre-series production runs and preparing products for mass manufacturing.


• Good understanding of DFM/industrialization principles and how to transition development outputs into stable serial production.


• Ability to build, implement, and improve R&D development processes, including planning frameworks, documentation discipline, and controlled design changes.


• Strong leadership and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to set direction, prioritize effectively, and keep teams focused on business-critical outcomes.


• Ability to align technical decisions with business goals such as faster time-to-market, higher reliability, lower cost, and scalable delivery.


• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills in technically complex, multidisciplinary product environments.


• Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with engineering, production, quality, software, and operational stakeholders.


• Professional proficiency in English and Russian.


• Ability and willingness to work full-time onsite in Georgia.


• Results-oriented mindset with clear ownership of delivery, accountability for KPIs, and motivation to continuously raise product and team performance.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the R&D roadmap for Smart Locker Systems, ensuring alignment with business priorities, market needs, and long-term product strategy.


• Lead the end-to-end development of new smart locker products and product modules across mechanical, electronics, and embedded/software-related domains.


• Define and govern product architecture, ensuring robust integration between hardware, electronics, software, and operational requirements.


• Drive product innovation initiatives that strengthen competitiveness, expand product capabilities, and support scalable deployment.


• Translate strategic objectives into clear development plans, priorities, milestones, and measurable delivery outcomes.


• Oversee prototyping, validation, and testing phases to ensure technical feasibility, performance, and reliability.


• Lead pre-series production activities for initial builds of approximately 10–20 units, ensuring controlled transition from development to industrial execution.


• Finalize product designs for mass production, with strong focus on manufacturability, quality, repeatability, and cost efficiency.


• Improve the reliability of existing smart locker products through structured root-cause analysis, engineering improvements, and validation testing.


• Optimize product cost through BOM reduction, design simplification, component selection, and assembly efficiency improvements.


• Increase development speed by introducing effective planning, prioritization, cross-functional coordination, and streamlined execution practices.


• Implement and continuously improve the R&D development process, including stage gates, documentation standards, change control, and technical decision governance.


• Collaborate closely with engineering, manufacturing, quality, software, service, and operational teams to ensure successful product industrialization.


• Support technical readiness for serial production by resolving design risks, validating product performance, and ensuring production alignment.


• Provide senior technical and organizational leadership to R&D activities, setting high standards for execution, accountability, and results.

Key Goals

• Build and execute a clear R&D roadmap aligned with business priorities, product strategy, and scalable delivery objectives.


• Launch 1–2 new smart locker product modules within agreed timelines, quality targets, and production-readiness requirements.


• Improve the reliability of existing products through structured engineering upgrades, testing, and validation.


• Optimize product cost through BOM reduction, design refinement, and assembly efficiency improvements without compromising quality.


• Increase development speed by strengthening planning, cross-functional coordination, and execution discipline.


• Implement a robust R&D development process that supports predictable delivery, controlled change management, and successful transition to mass production.


• Ensure successful pre-series production of 10–20 units and finalize designs for efficient serial manufacturing.


• Strengthen product competitiveness through innovation, architecture quality, and practical industrialization of new ideas.

Benefits

• Opportunity to shape the R&D direction of Smart Locker Systems at a strategic level and directly influence product success.


• High-impact leadership role with end-to-end ownership across innovation, architecture, validation, and production readiness.


• Chance to work within SLS Alliance’s integrated engineering, manufacturing, and software environment, where ideas move efficiently into real-world deployment.


• Exposure to multidisciplinary collaboration across product engineering, industrialization, manufacturing, software, quality, and operations.


• Opportunity to build and formalize development processes that create lasting organizational value and support scalable growth.


• Work on products designed for smart infrastructure systems and real operational use cases, where quality and reliability truly matter.


• Collaborative environment that values technical excellence, accountability, and measurable achievement.


• Platform to lead innovation and launch new modules that can materially expand product capability and market relevance.


• Professional growth through strategic responsibility, visible ownership, and direct impact on business outcomes.


• Competitive compensation aligned with the level of experience, responsibility, and contribution expected for the role.

If you are a results-driven R&D leader with a strong record of bringing connected hardware products from concept to production, we invite you to apply. Join SLS Alliance and help define the next generation of Smart Locker Systems—driving innovation, reliability, and scalable product excellence while advancing your own leadership career in a high-impact environment.