Sr. R&D Investment Planning Manager

Nextpower • Fremont, CA

12d

About The Position

Role Overview We are seeking an Sr. R&D Investment Planning Manager to drive financial strategy, planning, and execution across a multi-product R&D organization. This role will be closely partnered with Product Management, Engineering, Program Management, FP&A, and Sourcing to ensure disciplined investment, accurate forecasting, and clear visibility into R&D spend and ROI. Reporting to the Sr. Manager of R&D Operations, this individual will play a critical role in shaping how R&D investments are planned, tracked, and optimized across the portfolio.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting, Engineering, or related field.
• 10-15+ years of experience in R&D or product development with a background in launching mechanical and electrical hardware products.
• 5+ Experience in Finance, FP&A, business operations, or program finance (preferably in a hardware or engineering-heavy environment)
• Strong financial modeling, estimating, and forecasting skills
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-project budgets
• Experience building dashboards and working with financial/analytics tools (e.g., Excel, SQL, BI tools)
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate between technical and financial stakeholders

Nice To Haves

• MBA preferred but not required

Responsibilities

• R&D Financial Planning & Forecasting Partner with Product Management, Program Management, and Engineering teams to develop bottom-up spend forecasts for new and ongoing R&D programs
• Translate technical roadmaps into financial plans, including both labor and non-labor investments
• Maintain rolling forecasts and identify financial risks and opportunities across the R&D portfolio
• Spend Management & Cross-Functional Coordination Collaborate with FP&A and Sourcing to manage and track non-labor R&D spend (materials, vendors, prototyping, tooling, etc.)
• Ensure alignment between financial plans, procurement activities, and actual spend
• Drive accountability with program managers to track forecast vs. actuals
• R&D Investment Strategy & ROI Work with Product Management to develop clear “R&D investment stories” by linking program spend to expected business outcomes and ROI
• Support prioritization decisions by providing financial insights across competing programs
• Help leadership evaluate trade-offs across product lines and investment options
• Portfolio-Level Budget Management Monitor total R&D spend and proactively balance under- and over-spend across programs
• Provide visibility into total R&D budget performance and recommend reallocation strategies
• Support annual planning and long-range financial planning for R&D
• Process, Systems & Analytics Build and scale sustainable processes for R&D financial planning and tracking
• Develop dashboards and reporting tools that provide real-time visibility into key metrics (forecast accuracy, burn rates, ROI, etc.)
• Establish KPIs and standard reporting cadences for R&D leadership

Benefits

• Nextpower offers a comprehensive benefits package.
• We provide health care coverage, dental and vision, 401(K) participation including company matching, company paid holidays with unlimited paid time off, generous discretionary company bonuses, life and disability protection and more.
• Employees in certain positions may be eligible for stock compensation.
• All plans are in accordance with relevant plan documents.
• For more information on Nextpower’s benefits please view our company website at www.Nextpower.com

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level