Overview
The Offsite R&D Manager plays a critical role in advancing the Cullen Connectors product portfolio, directly contributing to the growth of the Offsite business and its continued outperformance of market trends. This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on technical expertise, delivering essential support across internal functions and to external stakeholders.
Responsibilities
* Lead the R&D function, overseeing all aspects of product innovation, development, and technical testing.
* Identify emerging markets, technologies, and product/service opportunities to drive strategic growth.
* Contribute to Product Line Simplification (PLS) efforts to enhance operational efficiency, reduce complexity, and help the business deliver greater value with fewer resources.
* Promote a culture of innovation, problem-solving, and effective cross-functional collaboration.
* Drive the identification and delivery of new product opportunities aligned with market trends and customer needs.
* Manage the prototyping, testing, and validation processes for both new and existing products to ensure performance and compliance.
* Collaborate closely with Product and Operations teams to apply design-for-manufacture principles from concept through to production.
* Support the successful launch of new products by working with Marketing, Commercial, and Product teams to develop effective go-to-market strategies.
* Collaborate with Product Managers and IP Counsel to ensure appropriate protection of intellectual property.
* Provide expert technical support to internal teams, including Operations, Product, and Sales, as well as to external customers.
* Manage relationships with third-party testing facilities, engineering consultants, and certification bodies as required.
* Lead and manage all product compliance activities, ensuring adherence to relevant regulatory, industry, and safety standards, while staying up to date with evolving building regulations, industry trends, and competitor developments to maintain technical leadership.
* Ensure all R&D activities are properly documented, tracked, and reported to maintain traceability and support decision-making.
Experience and Skills / Qualifications
* Appreciation for safety always ensuring a safe working environment (internal & external) and a cultural understanding of continuous improvement for health & safety.
* Degree in Civil/Structural Engineering (essential); a Master’s or Chartered status is desirable.
* Proven experience (5+ years) in a product development or technical leadership role within a manufacturing or construction-related business.
* Strong understanding of structural design principles, materials (especially timber & steel), and construction methods.
* Familiarity with relevant industry codes, standards, and testing methods (e.g., Eurocodes, British Standards, CE/UKCA marking).
* Experience in using AutoCAD, Inventor, and other engineering tools.
* Demonstrated ability to manage technical projects from concept through to production.
* Excellent problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.
* Self-motivated individual who is flexible and willing to learn continuous best practices with a positive mentality.
* Comfortable in working within a team environment, contributing, and sharing best practices, resources, and ideas to continually improve.
Details
* Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
* Employment type: Full-time
* Job function: Research, Analyst, and Information Technology
* Industries: Wholesale Building Materials
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