Senior Vice President, Research & Development

TP-Link Systems • Irvine, CA

11d • $350,000 - $450,000

About The Position

About Us: Headquartered in the United States, TP-Link Systems Inc. is a global provider of reliable networking devices and smart home products, consistently ranked as the world’s top provider of Wi-Fi devices. The company is committed to delivering innovative products that enhance people’s lives through faster, more reliable connectivity. With a commitment to excellence, TP-Link serves customers in over 170 countries and continues to grow its global footprint. We believe technology changes the world for the better! At TP-Link Systems Inc, we are committed to crafting dependable, high-performance products to connect users worldwide with the wonders of technology. Embracing professionalism, innovation, excellence, and simplicity, we aim to assist our clients in achieving remarkable global performance and enable consumers to enjoy a seamless, effortless lifestyle. Overview: The Senior Vice President of Research & Development (SVP, R&D) will serve as a key executive leader responsible for driving TP-Link’s innovation strategy and product development roadmap across both consumer and enterprise segments. This role oversees two major engineering groups—Consumer and Enterprise—each led by a Vice President, ensuring alignment with company strategy, market trends, and customer needs. The SVP will foster a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and execution discipline, positioning TP-Link as a leader in next-generation networking and connectivity solutions.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive R&D leadership experience in the Technology, Networking, or Smart Home / Internet of Things (IoT) industry, with at least 7 years in executive roles.
• Proven success leading large, complex engineering organizations, ideally across both consumer and enterprise product lines.
• Deep technical expertise in networking, wireless technologies, IoT, cloud services, and related areas.
• Demonstrated ability to translate market trends into actionable product and technology strategies.
• Track record of delivering innovative products on time, within budget, and at scale.
• Strong executive presence with excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Advanced degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field required; MBA is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership Define and execute TP-Link’s long-term R&D strategy across consumer and enterprise product lines Partner with executive leadership to align R&D priorities with business growth, competitive positioning, and emerging technologies. Anticipate market and technology trends (e.g., AI, edge computing, Wi-Fi evolution, security) to shape product innovation.
• Organizational Oversight Lead and manage entire R&D division in US, including embedded system, cloud, apps, and QA, which cover-across our consumer products and enterprise products. Provide leadership, coaching, and direction to Vice Presidents overseeing each division. Ensure collaboration and synergy across teams, leveraging shared technologies, platforms, and resources.
• Innovation & Execution Drive the development and timely delivery of best-in-class products that meet quality, performance, and cost targets. Establish processes for rapid prototyping, agile development, and scalable commercialization. Balance innovation with operational efficiency, ensuring high ROI on R&D investments.
• R&D Output Effectiveness Oversight of the timeline from R&D initiation to launch for core products. Success rate in advancing new product R&D initiatives. Accumulation and quality assurance of technological innovation outcomes (e.g., patents).
• Business Value & Cross-Functional Contribution Conversion of R&D investments into tangible benefits. Improvement in the profitability of core product lines. Revenue growth of new businesses driven by technological innovation. Partner with Product Management, Operations, Marketing, and Sales to translate market needs into innovative solutions. Support corporate strategy with thought leadership on technology differentiation and roadmap planning. Act as a key voice with customers, partners, and industry forums to represent TP-Link’s innovation agenda.
• Talent & Culture Build and sustain a high-performing engineering culture that values creativity, accountability, and technical excellence. Drive diversity, inclusion, and global collaboration across teams and geographies. Mentor future leaders and strengthen the overall engineering leadership bench. Stable retention of core technical talents. Progress in the cultivation and pipeline building of R&D team management talents. Smoothness and responsiveness of cross-team collaboration.

Benefits

• Salary range: $350,000-$450,000
• Free snacks and drinks, and provided lunch on Fridays
• Fully paid medical, dental, and vision insurance (partial coverage for dependents)
• Contributions to 401k funds
• Bi-annual reviews, and annual pay increases
• Health and wellness benefits, including free gym membership
• Quarterly team-building events

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees