Involve Recruitment (Midlands) Ltd) have partnered with a well-established manufacturer to appoint a Product Development Lead. This is a critical hire, replacing a long-standing technical leader and offering the chance to shape the next generation of products within a highly specialised sector.
This role is ideal for a hands-on senior product engineer who still enjoys solving technical problems, but is ready to take ownership of the product function and lead a small, capable team.
The Role
This is a 70% hands-on / 30% leadership position, combining technical depth with strategic responsibility.
You’ll take full ownership of the product development lifecycle — from concept through to launch — while leading and developing a small internal team.
Key responsibilities include:
1. Owning the product roadmap, lifecycle, and range strategy
2. Leading all new product development projects end-to-end
3. Driving continuous improvement across existing products (tolerances, materials, modular systems)
4. Managing supplier engineering and component cost optimisation
5. Leading the patent process and innovation strategy (with external attorneys)
6. Line managing a team including engineers and a product development specialist
7. Acting as the senior technical representative in key external discussions (OEMs, B2B partners, industry bodies)
We’re looking for a technically strong, commercially aware product developer who can both deliver and lead.
You’ll likely bring:
8. A proven track record of launching complex mechanical or precision-engineered products
9. Strong hands-on engineering capability (CAD review, tolerances, materials, prototyping issues)
10. Experience leading small technical teams (2–5 people)
11. Exposure to regulated or certified product environments
12. Experience working with patents (named inventor or closely involved)
13. A strategic mindset, with the ability to own and evolve a product portfolio
14. A decisive, structured, and data-driven approach
Experience in sectors such as Precision engineering, Safety-critical hardware, Automotive component, Medical devices, Hydraulics / fasteners or similar