The unique pace of today’s globalization process, with a huge impact on innovation, has attracted much attention in recent years. Literature show that Research and Development plays a vital role in innovation since it functions as the technological ‘gatekeeper’ in organizations. Many studies show a considerable relationship between innovation and R&D activities. Innovation needs competent leadership to make it happen. However, there are limited and disjointed studies on innovation leadership competencies and in the available body of knowledge, the importance appears to be discipline rather than a broad review of the core competencies required for innovativeness. This article proposes a human resource competency structure for organizational innovation leadership derived from research in engineering-based Research and Development institutions in Tanzania. The structure includes human resource competencies identified in a core sample of leaders whose leadership resulted in the successful technology adaptation or development, and the adoption of these by intended recipients in public applications, commercial and non-commercial. The study proposes a competence structure which may become a model through further research. Beneficiaries from this study, include innovation leaders, trainers of innovation leadership and the authorities who appoint innovation leaders.