Job Description:

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.

Key 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

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting, Engineering, or related field. (MBA preferred but not required)
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

What Success Looks Like

Accurate and trusted R&D forecasts across all programs

Clear visibility into where every dollar is being spent and why

Strong alignment between engineering plans and financial plans

Leadership equipped with actionable insights for investment decisions

Scalable processes and systems that support a growing R&D organization

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

Job Number:
NX-3728

Community / Marketing Title:
Sr. R&D Investment Planning Manager

Location_formattedLocationLong:
Fremont, California US

We are Nextracker, on a mission to be one of the world’s leading energy solutions companies delivering the most intelligent, reliable and productive solar technology for future generations.

We are the leading provider of intelligent, integrated solar tracker and software solutions used in utility-scale and ground-mounted distributed generation solar projects around the world.

As a diverse group of technology innovators and clean energy activators. We are collaborative team players. We do the right thing. We are accountable and deliver results. We believe in equity and inclusion. We are committed to sustainability, decarbonization and a better tomorrow.