RIT Business Manager Precision Electronics R&D

Department: IT R&D and Enterprise Applications

Reports to: IT R&D Business Partner for Innovation & PEPD (Precision Electronics Product Development)

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced IT Business Manager for R&D PEPD (Precision Electronics Product Development) who blends strong technical expertise in AI/ML, cloud platforms, and data engineering with solid managerial skills in stakeholder management, software project delivery, and IT service management (ITIL). This role serves as the primary bridge between IT and the Precision Electronics R&D organization, driving innovation while ensuring operational excellence, service continuity, and strategic alignment.

The ideal candidate moves fluently between technical solution design and business conversations prototyping AI-driven solutions, orchestrating cross-functional projects, managing vendor relationships, and aligning breakthrough technology capabilities with real-world R&D use cases.

Key Responsibilities :

IT Business Partnering & Stakeholder Management :

- Act as the IT interface for the Precision Electronics R&D groups, building trusted relationships with business leaders, product managers, and engineering stakeholders.

- Gather, analyze, and prioritize requirements from R&D and product management teams, translating them into actionable IT plans, specifications, and roadmaps.

- Participate in the execution of the IT vision and consolidation roadmap, aligning project goals with strategic objectives and ensuring consistency across departments and solutions.

- Organize and lead cross-functional project meetings, stakeholder reviews, and vendor interactions.

- Communicate project results, technical risks, AI opportunities, and strategic recommendations to non-technical stakeholders and IT/business leadership.

Software Project & Delivery Management :

- Oversee the full lifecycle of IT/software solutions from requirements gathering through design, development, testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance.

- Coordinate and prioritize project activities across multiple teams in an Agile/SAFe environment.

- Manage relationships with internal and external development teams and vendors, ensuring timely and quality delivery.

- Define and monitor project KPIs, budgets, risks, and dependencies, reporting progress to IT and business leadership.

- Lead feasibility studies, rapid prototyping, Proof of Concepts (PoC), and MVP delivery for innovative R&D solutions.

IT Service Management (ITIL) :

- Ensure business continuity by maintaining stable operations and defining application evolution roadmaps.

- Apply ITIL best practices across incident, problem, change, and service-level management for R&D applications and platforms.

- Support business and application support management with a focus on continuous improvement processes.

- Monitor and drive cloud cost optimization practices and service management efficiency.

- Promote the adoption of best practices in DevOps, cloud architecture, data integration, and security compliance.

AI, ML & Innovation :

- Support as IT Business partner innovation projects in the R&D domain by identifying emerging technologies, piloting new solutions, and transforming ideas into concrete IT initiatives with business value with a focus on AI, ML, and GenAI solutions.

- Translate complex R&D problems into AI-driven technical solutions, including design, development, and fine-tuning of ML and LLM models.

- Identify and evaluate opportunities to integrate AI, ML, and Generative AI into Precision Electronics solutions to enhance automation, predictive capabilities, and user experience.

- Ensure AI model traceability, governance, and continuous improvement via DevOps/MLOps practices.

- Lead pilot initiatives that apply Generative AI to accelerate software development, documentation, diagnostics, and customer support workflows.

- Promote adoption of AI tools, analytics, and decision-support workflows within R&D and product development teams.

- Ensure AI/ML solutions comply with ethical standards, data privacy regulations, and enterprise architecture guidelines.

Required Qualifications :

Education :

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent field.

Experience :

- 3-5 years of experience in IT project management or IT Business Partner roles, ideally within R&D, engineering, or product development domains.

- Proven experience in end-to-end application delivery management, with a focus on cloud-based applications and data-intensive solutions.

- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and vendor relationships in complex, matrixed organizations.

Technical Skills :

- Strong understanding of Cloud platforms (Azure) and Azure data & AI services/platforms (e.g., Azure Data Lake, Databricks, Kubernetes, AI Foundry, IoT platforms).

- Proficiency in AI/ML technologies: Generative AI, LLMs, ML frameworks, vector databases, prompt engineering, RAG design patterns and AI Assisted development tools (eg:. GitHub Copilot or ClaudeCode).

- Hands-on experience with Software development, Python and key ML libraries (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Hugging Face, scikit-learn).

- Knowledge of MLOps tools (MLflow, Weights & Biases, CI/CD pipelines).

- Familiarity with data orchestration and pipelines (Databricks, Spark, Delta Lake, SQL, Airflow).

- Strong understanding of CI/CD principles and practices and proficiency in Azure DevOps, Jira, or similar tools.

- Understanding of Embedded SW Design & development processes, On-Board Diagnostics, Electronic Systems validation, and related Off-Board SW is a plus.

Managerial & Process Skills :

- Solid knowledge of ITIL framework and IT service management practices.

- Excellent stakeholder management skills ability to influence, negotiate, and build consensus across business and technical teams.

- Experience with Agile, SAFe, design thinking, and business analysis methodologies.

- Ability to coordinate multidisciplinary teams, including developers, architects, data scientists, QA, and business users.

- Strong experience in vendor management, contracts, and third-party delivery oversight.

- Knowledge of cloud cost optimization and IT budgeting practices.

Soft Skills :

- Communication & Presentation: Excellent ability to convey complex technical concepts to diverse audiences, from C-level executives to development teams.

- Analytical Thinking: Strong analytical mindset with the ability to assess priorities, decompose problems, and make decisions under pressure.

- Leadership & Influence: Ability to lead without direct authority, motivating cross-functional teams and championing change.

- Collaboration: Natural team player who thrives in cross-functional, international, and multicultural environments.

- Proactivity & Ownership: Self-driven attitude with a bias for action, anticipating needs and resolving issues before they escalate.

- Adaptability: Comfortable navigating ambiguity and shifting priorities in a fast-paced R&D environment.

- Continuous Learning: Genuine curiosity and passion for emerging technologies, AI trends, and industry best practices.

Preferred Qualifications :

- Previous experience in a Precision Electronics, connectivity, or engineering IT environment.

- Knowledge of R&D engineering processes and tools (e.g., simulations, PLM, lab data management).

- ITIL Foundation or higher certification.

- Agile/Scrum certifications (e.g., CSM, PSM, SAFe Agilist).

- Cloud certifications (e.g., Azure Solutions Architect, Azure AI Engineer).

- Experience with data privacy regulations (GDPR) and security compliance in an enterprise context.

What We Offer :

- A strategic role at the intersection of technology and business in a leading R&D organization.

- The opportunity to drive AI and digital transformation in the Precision Electronics domain.

- A collaborative, innovation-driven environment with exposure to cutting-edge technologies.

- Career development opportunities in a global, multicultural company.