Job Overview
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic R&D Manager to lead our research and development team. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the successful development of innovative, compliant, and manufacturable hot and cold water dispensing products. This role balances technical leadership with commercial and regulatory awareness, ensuring projets are delivered on time, within budget, and meet all specification, quality standards and scalability requirements supporting Borg & Overström’s reputation for design excellence and reliability.
Key Responsibilities
* Leadership and People Management: Lead, coach, mentor, and develop the R&D team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
* Product Development and Delivery: Ensure robust planning, resource assignment, and prioritization across mechanical, electrical, software, and testing functions.
* Lifecycle Management: Oversee Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) to ensure timely implementation and alignment with business priorities.
* Collaboration: Work closely with Quality, Supply Chain, Production, Operations, Technical Support, Customer Value Streams, and Portfolio Management to ensure seamless product introduction and continuous improvement.
* Innovation and Continuous Improvement: Foster excitement and drive innovation aligned with the product roadmap strategy, ensuring a unified approach to product development.
* Quality and Compliance: Approve and track design verification and validation plans, ensuring they meet internal and regulatory expectations.
Key Skills and Attributes
* Proven leadership and people management skills, with at least five years of experience in a similar role.
* Strong communication abilities to ensure alignment across departments.
* Proficiency in CAD systems, project management systems, and enterprise systems.
* A proactive, collaborative, and solution-oriented mindset.
* Able to influence, challenge constructively, and drive accountability in others.
* Strong understanding of compliance, risk assessment and design controls
* Comfortable operating in a fast-paced SME or mid-sized manufacturing environment
Success in This Role Will Look Like
* Consistent delivery of new products and lifecycle upgrades in line with the product strategy — meeting programme timelines, technical specifications, cost targets, quality standards, and scalability requirements.
* Measurable improvement in product reliability and in-field performance, reflected in reduced quality incidents, warranty claims, and reactive engineering workload.
* Clear, trusted ownership of the NPD process across the business, resulting in strong alignment between R&D, Quality, Production, Supply Chain, Operations, Customer Value Stream, and Technical Support teams.
* A confident, capable, and high-performing R&D organisation, with engineers who are well coached, engaged, technically disciplined, and consistently executing to common standards.
* Robust engineering governance, including effective design reviews, validation activities, and change control processes that support predictable delivery and smooth production handover.
* Increased confidence across internal stakeholders and external customers in Borg & Overström’s product development capability, technical leadership, and long-term range stability.
We're Borg & Overstrom, manufacturers of beautiful, sustainable filtered drinking water coolers and tap systems. Since the launch of our first water dispenser we have remained committed to delivering, quality, market leading products coupled with excellent customer service.
Pay: Up to £60,000.00 per year
If this role excites you, then get in touch to find out more...