Head of R&D

R&D Manager

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
• 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.