Job Title: Research & Development ManagerDepartment: Market Engagement & Product Strategy (MEPS)Reports to: Director of R&DDo you enjoy tackling complex technical challenges and leading innovation in gas analysis technologies? If so, this role offers the opportunity to lead a Center of Excellence dedicated to advancing next-generation gas analytics solutions for global industrial and environmental applications.
California Analytical Instruments, Inc. (CAI), a wholly owned subsidiary of ENVEA, is a global leader in gas analysis and emissions monitoring technologies for industrial, environmental, process, and automotive markets. To support continued growth and innovation, CAI is seeking a full-time R&D Manager to lead the Gas Analytics Center of Excellence in Orange, California. This role will drive new product development and continuous improvement initiatives across ENVEA's global gas analytics portfolio.
The R&D Manager is responsible for leading development activities for gas analyzers and analytical systems, including sensor-based, optical, and chemical measurement technologies. The role manages engineers and technical contributors, ensures execution against the R&D roadmap, and acts as a key technical partner to global R&D teams, Manufacturing, Product Strategy, Quality, and Customer Operations.
This position requires strong technical depth in gas analysis technologies and instrumentation, combined with disciplined project execution, sound judgment, and people leadership. The successful candidate plans and prioritizes work to meet project milestones, performance targets, and quality standards, while maintaining accurate technical and project documentation. The role operates with a high degree of autonomy and accountability and requires effective coordination across global teams.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:
- Lead R&D activities for gas analytics products, from concept through industrialization, supporting both new product development and lifecycle management of existing solutions.
- Oversee troubleshooting, calibration, and QA/QC of newly manufactured and legacy gas analyzers to support on-time volume production.
- Provide technical leadership in root-cause analysis, performance optimization, and reliability improvement of gas measurement systems.
- Interface with customers to support complex technical issues, including troubleshooting, repair, and recalibration activities, both remotely and on-site.
- Drive the development and documentation of instruments, test plans, validation protocols, wiring diagrams, and assembly procedures.
- Collaborate with Manufacturing and Supply Chain to ensure design-for-manufacturability and design-for-serviceability.
- Support the Sales organization by providing technical input for repair, calibration, and upgrade quotations, and by participating in key customer engagements when needed.
- Contribute to customer and internal training activities related to gas analytics instrumentation.
- Promote best practices, technical standards, and knowledge sharing within the Gas Analytics Center of Excellence.
Qualification: to perform this job successfully an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
- Bachelor's degree (Master's preferred) in Engineering or OhD, Physics, or related discipline
- Minimum 7 years of experience in R&D or engineering roles
- Prior experience leading technical teams or projects
- Strong knowledge of gas analysis
- Strong verbal and written understanding of English.
- Experience in environmental monitoring or regulated instrumentation industries
- Exposure to global R&D collaboration models
- Strong leadership and communication skills
- Structured, organized, and delivery-focused
- Proactive mindset with a strong interest in innovation and experimentation
- Ability to use essential MS Office tools (Outlook, Word, Excel).
- Willing to travel (< 20%), including overseas.
- US citizen or permanent resident.
Remuneration:$130,000 to $160,000 plus benefits
