Director of Research & Technical Innovation

Make a Home at Taylor WimpeyAt Taylor Wimpey, we don’t just build houses; we build futures. Not just for the people who live in our homes, but for our own people too. When we bring our collective skills together, we make amazing things happen – for ourselves, for each other and for our customers. There are incredible opportunities on your doorstep, and we want you to discover them all. With 22 regional offices across the UK and operations in Spain, we bring our vision to life locally. Here, you’ll be given the tools to develop your skills and the freedom to explore new avenues. Share your ideas, experience a no-blame culture, and shape your work around your life.Every single one of us plays a vital role in bringing to life incredible places and spaces, where anyone can thrive. We believe in making a positive difference to our planet, as well as to people. Home to work that matters, and you can be a part of it.Job summary/PurposeThe role of the Director of Research & Technical Innovation involves leading and managing innovation approaches to address business challenges and enhance operational and financial performance. The key aspects of the role are strong innovation mindset, technical and practical understanding, commercial and financial awareness, supply chain collaboration, market assessment, project management, product development, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Primary ResponsibilitiesIdentify, lead, and manage innovation approaches to business challenges and work with cross functional teams to deliver solutions that will enhance operational and financial performance of the business. Responsible for managing the innovation process within the business to identify opportunities, strategies and recommendations that will deliver innovation to TW Homes and to the process of constructing TW Homes.Proactively engage with internal stakeholders, notably Technical, Commercial, HSE, Supply Chain and Production to evaluate and assess key challenges associated to Regulatory change, sustainability, Quality, Waste, Skills, Energy efficiency and as-built performance.Develop and maintain an advanced understanding of our supply chain partners’ products and opportunities. Through engagement with external partners, identify innovative solutions to deliver viable new and alternative technical solutions to meet business challenges and future regulatory challenges. Continually assess the market drivers and industry factors that may Influence Construction Methodologies in the House Building Sector i.e., skills shortages. Evaluate new and evolving MMC systems and identify the opportunities and/ or challenges associated with MMC solutions and share regular updates with GMT. Project manage desktop studies, and/ or trialling and evaluation of new products or systems to produce evidence-based insights to make informed business decisions. Manage a programme of current / future product development and system trials through TW Business units and record new ideas from inside and outside the business and report progress monthly through GMT reports.Lead and manage the exploratory Part L product and technology research associated with TW’s Zero Carbon Roadmap. Complete extensive desktop research, SAP modelling, supplier engagement.Champion Future Homes Standards trials. Deliver a robust trial (5 plots in TWLon) for a broad range of new, innovative Technology solutions to generate tangible outcomes to make informed decision on how TW should build homes of the future. This will ensure any specification that we put forward is design friendly, customer centric, deliverable, robust and scalable.Create commercial impact assessments and technology matrixes to aid cross functional decision making and demonstrate optimum design and customer centric solutions to meet Part L and Future Homes Standards. Develop Cost/ benefit analysis, comparison matrixes, SWOT analysis and GMT reports/ papers to support any business case investment for specific R&D projects. Attend weekly Group Design and Technical meetings, monthly Group procurement board meetings to provide Technical Innovation update, fortnightly FHS Supply Chain Process Sourcing meeting, Bi-Monthly QM calls and quarterly Functional Interface Group meetings to foster and encourage innovative thinking.Promote and chair the TW internal Functional Interface Group. Champion cross functional engagement to consult on any proposed new product, production innovation or best practice to determine the cost/benefit analysis and consider any H&S implications prior to trialling and/ or national adoption and implementation. Ensure the necessary authorisation and approval process is adhered too. Key CompetenciesProject Management SkillsCommunicate well and collaborateCommercial awarenessFuture focused and drive changeInnovative thinkerStrategically mindedPlanned and organisedManage upwards and sidewaysProblem solverAbility to spot opportunitiesCreativeSelf-MotivatedAdaptability to complete a wide range of different tasksMake informed decisionsNumerate, accurateCreate develop and maintain relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholdersExperience, Qualifications, Technical RequirementsUnderstanding of housebuilding or wider construction industry and R&D OpportunitiesFamiliar with current Building Regulations Experience working under own initiative and delivering R&D projectsStrong leader with excellent communication and presentation skillsTechnical, operational or manufacturing background or understanding of the built environment and its supply chainWhat we offer at Taylor WimpeyAt Taylor Wimpey, we are committed to enabling you to make a home with us. Our work is not just about building homes; its about doing work that matters, making a positive impact on the lives of our customers and the communities we serve. We enjoy many benefits as standard, including excellent retail discounts, company funded life insurance and private healthcare, and access to a quality pension scheme with company contributions. We also offer our discounted house purchase scheme, car leasing scheme and share plans, as well as the opportunity to tailor your benefit package to suit your needs with options such as buying extra annual leave or adding dependants to your benefit cover. Our total reward offer works perfectly with our culture, we are a welcoming community where everyone can feel at home. We create a home to your future by providing opportunities for growth and development. We offer industry leading professional training and development, which supports you to unlock your potential and fulfil your career and personal goals in a variety of opportunities and environments. We look to develop our people in the skills and areas they are most interested in, leveraging your qualities and appreciating your unique competencies, skills and expertise that, when we come together, make this a great place to work. If you want to do work that matters and build a career that lasts, make a home at Taylor Wimpey. Inclusivity StatementAs a proud Disability Confident Employer, Taylor Wimpey is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. We actively collaborate with individuals who have disabilities and long-term health conditions which have an effect on their ability to do normal daily activities, ensuring that barriers are eliminated when it comes to employment opportunities. In line with our commitment, we guarantee an interview to applicants who declare to us during the application process that they have a disability and meet the minimum requirements for the role. Join us in building a truly diverse and empowered team.