Head of Product Development (Engineering)
hace 3 días
Tonbridge
Head of Product Development (Engineering) West Kent | Competitive Salary + Bonus + Benefits Drive Innovation. Own Product Design. See Your Work in the Real World. We’re working with a growing, engineering-led manufacturer delivering high-performance physical products into demanding, real-world environments. This is not theoretical design — these are products that must perform, comply, and last. They are now looking for a hands-on Product Development leader to take ownership of R&D, design engineering, and continuous product improvement. The Role This is a design and development-led engineering role at its core. You’ll be responsible for: • Leading new product development (NPD) from concept through to manufacture, • Owning design decisions, materials selection, and product performance, • Driving product improvement and value engineering across existing ranges, • Translating real customer and site requirements into practical, manufacturable designs, • Embedding structured R&D and innovation processes into the business What They’re Looking For You’ll likely come from a product-focused engineering background, where you’ve designed and developed physical, manufactured products. Typical backgrounds could include: • Building products / construction systems, • Fabricated metal or structural products, • Automotive or mechanical equipment, • Proven experience delivering NPD projects end-to-end (concept production), • Strong 3D CAD capability (SolidWorks, Inventor or similar), • A deep understanding of materials, manufacturing processes and product performance, • Experience with DFM / DFA and engineering optimisation, • Exposure to testing, validation, FEA or simulation tools The Environment • Growing SME with strong technical ambition, • Loyal, long-standing team and collaborative culture, • Opportunity to shape how products are designed and developed, • Enjoys building and improving products, not maintaining legacy designs, • Is naturally curious, forward-thinking and commercially aware, • Genuine ownership of product development and R&D direction, • A role where your designs will be built, used and seen, • Strong influence across engineering, operations and commercial teams For a confidential discussion, contact Emily or Sammy at PWR.