R&D Operating Manager – Signal Generation

Overview

Keysight is at the forefront of technology innovation, delivering breakthroughs and trusted insights in electronic design, simulation, prototyping, test, manufacturing, and optimization. Our ~16,800 employees create world-class solutions in communications, 5G, automotive, energy, quantum, aerospace, defense, and semiconductor markets for customers in over 100 countries. Learn more about what we do.

Our award-winning culture embraces a bold vision of where technology can take us and a passion for tackling challenging problems with industry-first solutions. We believe that when people feel a sense of belonging, they can be more creative, innovative, and thrive at all points in their careers.

We are looking for an experienced R&D Operating Manager to lead the development of next-generation high-speed signal generation instruments. This is a project management-primary role embedded within the software organisation, with responsibility for full product delivery — from concept through customer release — across both software and hardware streams.

You will directly manage a team of software engineers and FPGA gateware developers. The software team builds sophisticated Windows-based instrument software with characteristics typical of embedded and firmware development; the gateware team develops the logic running on the instrument’s FPGAs. While hardware engineers will not report to you on a direct line basis, you will lead them day-to-day and carry full accountability for hardware delivery milestones. A hardware systems architect will provide technical guidance to the hardware team. You will also collaborate with a measurement applications development team based in India.

This role requires a technically grounded manager who is equally comfortable owning a complex project plan and developing the people on their team. You will play an active role in maturing our scrum-based development processes and in driving adoption of AI productivity tools and cybersecurity practices across the organisation.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end NPI delivery for a next-generation signal generation platform, including hardware and software milestones, across a cross-functional team
• Lead, develop, and support a direct team of software and FPGA gateware engineers
• Drive project planning, risk management, dependency tracking, and stakeholder communication throughout the product lifecycle
• Lead hardware engineers day-to-day without direct line authority, ensuring integrated delivery of the full product
• Collaborate effectively with the measurement applications team in India, aligning scope, schedules, and technical interfaces
• Actively contribute to the evolution of the team’s scrum-based development process and its scaling across the organisation
• Champion the adoption of AI-assisted development practices and ensure cybersecurity is treated as a first-class concern in the product and its development process
• Report project status and escalate risks to your manager and relevant stakeholders

Qualifications

Required

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Computer Engineering, Technical Computer Science (Technische Informatik), Physics, or a closely related field
• Typically 10+ years of post-degree experience in R&D or product engineering environments
• Demonstrated track record of delivering complex, multi-disciplinary products end-to-end, including hardware and software components
• Experience working with scrum or other agile methodologies; a genuine commitment to agile ways of working is essential
• Sufficient hardware-level understanding to engage credibly with hardware engineers, assess technical trade-offs, and own delivery accountability across hardware streams
• Experience leading cross-functional teams where influence without direct authority is required
• Experience working with geographically distributed development teams
• Fluent English (written and spoken)

Preferred

• Prior direct line management experience
• Background in test & measurement, semiconductor ATE, precision instruments, or defence electronics
• Familiarity with scaled agile frameworks (SAFe or equivalent) is an advantage
• Experience establishing or maturing agile processes within an R&D organisation
• Practical experience with AI productivity tools in a software development workflow
• Awareness of cybersecurity principles in the context of instrument or embedded software
• Conversational German

Careers Privacy StatementKeysight is an Equal Opportunity Employer.