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 an...