Research And Development Manager

Job Description

About Walker Digital Table Systems (WDTS)

Walker Digital Table Systems is the global leader in smart table game automation for the casino industry. With our patented PJM3.0 RFID technology, we help casinos enhance revenue, security, and player engagement by enabling real-time chip tracking, error-free payouts, and intelligent analytics.

Our flagship platformsPerfect Pay, Perfect Cage, and Perfect Tableare deployed in the most advanced gaming environments in Las Vegas, Macau, Singapore, and beyond. We're redefining how casinos operate, one table at a time.

Now, we're expanding our global R&D efforts to drive the next wave of innovation, including AI, computer vision, real-time systems, and predictive analytics. This is where you come in.

Role Overview

As R&D Manager, you will lead cross-functional research initiatives that power the future of WDTS products. You'll manage a growing team of engineers and scientists across software, hardware, and data domains while steering technology exploration, prototyping, and productization.

You will be responsible for aligning research efforts with business goals, owning the roadmap of exploratory and pre-commercial technology, and ensuring technical excellence and execution.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead and scale a high-performing R&D team focused on innovation in areas such as RFID, computer vision, AI/ML, and real-time systems.
- Design and execute short- and long-term research strategies in collaboration with executive stakeholders.
- Manage the R&D lifecycle from concept prototype pilot productization, including timelines, budgets, and cross-team coordination.
- Foster a culture of experimentation and technical rigor, balancing innovation with practicality and integration readiness.
- Collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, and Customer Success teams to translate R&D into business-impactful features.
- Oversee partnerships with academic institutions, technology vendors, and regulatory partners as needed.
- Guide the technical evaluation of new technologies and drive patent strategy in coordination with legal teams.
- Provide mentoring and performance management for R&D staff; attract and retain top technical talent globally.

Ideal Profile

Must-Haves

- 10+ years of experience in R&D leadership, ideally including Hardware, Software, Embedded systems, IoT, gaming, or real-time analytics.
- Proven track record of managing innovation teams through ambiguity into structured delivery.
- Strong technical foundation in one or more of: computer vision, embedded systems, real-time software, machine learning, casino technology, or hardware-software systems.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to align technical exploration with business outcomes.
- Experience working in or managing distributed teams across geographies.

Nice-to-Haves

- Background in RFID or casino gaming systems is a plus.
- Understanding of regulatory requirements in gaming, payments, or hardware deployment environments.
- Experience in product incubation within a mid-size or scaling tech company.
- Familiarity with Jira, Confluence, Git, and agile R&D practices.

Why Join WDTS

- Impact: Your work will shape the future of casino technology and be deployed in real-world gaming environments globally.
- Innovation Playground: RFID, IoT, computer vision, and AI converge here. You'll lead truly novel work.
- Autonomy & Growth: Small enough to move fast, big enough to scale. You'll have the freedom to experiment and the support to execute.
- Global Collaboration: Join a diverse team spanning the U.S., India, Macau, and Australiaall united by curiosity and excellence.