What research should you do before a product R&D management interview?

1 The company

You should research the company's vision, mission, values, culture, and goals. You should also learn about their current and past products, services, or processes, and how they perform in the market. You should identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and how they differentiate themselves from their competitors. You should also look for any recent news, events, awards, or achievements that relate to their product R&D activities.

2 The role

You should review the job description carefully and understand the main responsibilities, expectations, and skills required for the product R&D management role. You should also research the typical challenges, risks, and opportunities that product R&D managers face in their work. You should be able to demonstrate how your experience, education, and achievements match the role requirements and how you can add value to the company's product R&D efforts.

3 The industry

You should research the industry trends, dynamics, and challenges that affect the company's product R&D activities. You should also be aware of the regulatory, ethical, and social implications of product R&D in the industry. You should be able to show your awareness of the customer needs, preferences, and behaviors in the industry, and how they influence the product R&D decisions. You should also be familiar with the best practices, standards, and tools for product R&D in the industry.

4 The team

You should research the product R&D team structure, roles, and responsibilities in the company. You should also find out who are the key stakeholders, partners, and collaborators for product R&D in the company. You should be able to show your leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, and how you can work effectively with different people and teams. You should also be prepared to answer questions about your management style, your approach to problem-solving, and your feedback methods.

5 The project

You should research the current or potential product R&D projects that the company is working on or planning to work on. You should also have some ideas or suggestions for new or improved product R&D projects that the company could pursue. You should be able to show your creativity, innovation, and analytical skills, and how you can apply them to product R&D projects. You should also be ready to explain your product R&D process, your methods for research, design, testing, and evaluation, and your criteria for success.