# Senior Manager, R&D

**Company:** [Crusoe](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/crusoe)
**Location:** Denver, CO
**Role:** Engineering Management
**Salary:** $132k – $165k/yr
**Experience:** 5+ years
**Skills:** Program Management, Technical Program Management, Data Center Infrastructure, Power Systems, Cooling Systems, AI Infrastructure, High-Performance Computing, Hyperscale Data Centers, Stakeholder Management, Team Building
**Posted:** 2026-04-06

> Leads R&D team in evaluating emerging technologies for AI infrastructure, managing people, programs, and operations to scale from pilots to hyperscale deployment. Requires 5+ years people management and technical program experience in infrastructure/data centers, with bachelor's degree.

## Job Description

## What You’ll Be Working On

### Team Building & People Leadership
- Recruit, hire, and onboard R&D team members across technology evaluation, program management, and related functions.
- Own the people management lifecycle: conduct regular 1:1s, drive career development conversations, manage performance, and build an inclusive, high-performing team culture.

### Organizational Scaling
- Partner with R&D leadership to translate the organizational growth plan into a phased hiring roadmap.
- Define role profiles, interview processes, and onboarding programs that attract and retain top talent in a competitive market.

### Program Management (Hybrid)
- Directly manage R&D programs—including technology evaluations, external partner engagements, feasibility pilots, and cross-functional projects that advance technologies from concept through pilot validation toward hyperscale deployment.
- As the team grows, transition program execution to dedicated TPMs while retaining oversight and mentorship.

### Operational Excellence
- Establish and continuously improve R&D operational processes: intake workflows, project tracking, resource allocation, reporting cadences, and governance structures.
- Ensure the team operates with transparency, discipline, and speed.

### Engineering Team Coordination
- Support the interface between R&D and engineering teams across the company.
- Help facilitate planning sessions, regular touchpoints, and ad hoc engagements that ensure R&D is delivering value to the people building and deploying Crusoe’s infrastructure.

### Leadership Partnership
- Serve as the primary operational partner to the head of R&D, enabling strategic focus by owning day-to-day team management and program execution.
- Provide input on organizational design, resource prioritization, and process improvements.

### External Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement
- Support relationship management with technology vendors, emerging startups, and research partners.
- Help coordinate pilot programs and external engagements that bring new technologies into Crusoe’s evaluation pipeline.

## What You’ll Bring to the Team

- **People Management**: 5+ years of direct people management experience, including hiring, performance management, and career development of technical individual contributors. Experience building or significantly scaling a team is strongly preferred.
- **Program Management**: 5+ years of technical program or project management experience in infrastructure, manufacturing, data center, or related engineering environments.
- **Technical Fluency**: Sufficient technical background to engage credibly with engineers across data center infrastructure, power systems, cooling, and compute domains.
- **Organizational Building**: Demonstrated experience standing up new teams, functions, or organizational capabilities from early stage. Comfortable operating in ambiguity and building process while delivering results.
- **Communication & Executive Presence**: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to represent the R&D organization to engineering leaders, executive stakeholders, and external partners.
- **Education**: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a related discipline. Advanced degree is a plus but not required.

**Bonus Points**:
- Experience in a data center, infrastructure, or energy company.
- Background in R&D organizations, advanced engineering groups, innovation teams, or technical consulting practices.
- Track record of managing hybrid teams that combine program management and technical evaluation functions.
- Experience partnering with recruiting to build technical hiring pipelines in competitive talent markets.
- Familiarity with AI infrastructure, high-performance computing, or hyperscale data center environments.

## Benefits
- Competitive compensation and equity packages
- Restricted Stock Units
- Paid time off, paid holidays & leave of absence programs
- Comprehensive health, dental & vision insurance
- Employer contributions to HSA account
- Paid parental leave
- Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
- Professional development & tuition reimbursement
- Mental health & wellness support
- Commuter benefits (parking & transit)
- Cell phone stipend
- 401(k) Retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary
- Volunteer time off
- Global travel insurance & emergency assistance
- Daily meals allowance
- Additional perks & programs specific to location

## Compensation Range
Compensation will be paid in the range of up to $132,000 -$165,000 + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicants knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

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