The Client
My client is a leading international technology manufacturer headquartered in County Durham and is looking for a people-driven Head of R&D to lead best-in-class NPD delivery. This is a highly hands-on role, focused on execution, product lifecycle excellence and compliance - not strategic R&D oversight or architectural ownership
About the Role
Reporting to the Global Head of R&D, the Head of R&D will drive high-quality, on-time product development and sustaining engineering across the business unit portfolio, with full accountability for product compliance to all relevant standards and regulations.
Leading UK-based engineering and product compliance teams, the role works closely with European R&D leadership to align priorities, accelerate execution, and deliver consistently strong performance across sites.
Main Responsibilities
Engineering Delivery & Execution
Own delivery of UK-based engineering projects (scope, timeline, quality)
Drive predictable execution through structured planning, tracking, and accountability
Align engineering capacity with project priorities and business needs
Establish and manage delivery KPIs (cycle time, on-time delivery, throughput)
Product Lifecycle & Sustaining Engineering
Own engineering support for the existing product portfolio, including:
Obsolescence-driven redesigns
Cost optimisation and component changes
Regulatory and standards-driven updates
Ensure continuity of supply and product competitiveness
Balance new product development and sustaining engineering activities
Product Compliance Leadership
Lead the Product Compliance team within R&D
Ensure all products meet relevant regulatory, safety, and certification requirements
Maintain alignment with applicable standards (e.g. IEC, ISO, regional compliance requirements)
Work closely with engineering teams to embed compliance early in development
Support certification, audits, and regulatory approvals
Team Leadership & Capability Building
Lead and develop UK-based engineering and compliance teams
Build a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement
Strengthen technical and delivery leadership within the team
Ensure effective resource utilisation and capability development
Cross-Site Collaboration
Work closely with European-based R&D leadership and engineering teams to ensure aligned priorities and coordinated execution
Support a unified development model across UK and Europe
Contribute to a cohesive, high-performing engineering organisation across locations
External Development Integration
Integrate external development partners to increase engineering capacity and speed
Define clear scopes, interfaces, and deliverables
Ensure quality and timely delivery from external partners
Process & Performance Improvement
Improve engineering efficiency, reducing development cycle time and rework
Implement pragmatic, scalable development processes (Agile / hybrid)
Ensure clear visibility of delivery performance, risks, and dependencies
Proactively remove technical and organisational blockers
About You
Tobe considered for the role, it is essential that you possess demonstrable experience and strength in theleading of engineering teams and NPD, in the electronics, testing & measurement, safety or instrumentation product sectors. You will also be degree qualified in an appropriate discipline.
Key Selection Criteria
Familiarity with platform-based product architectures
Strong track record of delivering complex engineering projects on time and to quality targets
Experience in multidisciplinary engineering (hardware, embedded software, systems)
Experience managing product compliance, certification, or regulatory activities
Experience working across multiple locations or distributed teams
Experience working with external development partners or outsourced engineering models
Strong execution focus with ability to deliver results through teams
Structured, data-driven approach to problem solving
Ability to manage complexity and competing priorities
Clear and effective communication across technical and non-technical stakeholders
Pragmatic, delivery-oriented mindset with high accountability
Collaborative leadership style with ability to influence across locations
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