At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering teams to deliver innovative products and ensure compliance with industry standards.
- Company: A leading international technology manufacturer based in County Durham.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development opportunities, and a dynamic work environment.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for cross-site teamwork across Europe.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by driving product excellence and leading talented teams.
- Qualifications: Experience in engineering leadership and product development in electronics or instrumentation.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
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: To be considered for the role, it is essential that you possess demonstrable experience and strength in the leading 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.
Head of R&D employer: Catalyst
As a leading international technology manufacturer based in County Durham, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic and inclusive work culture that prioritises employee development and collaboration. Our Head of R&D role offers the opportunity to lead innovative engineering teams while ensuring product excellence and compliance, all within a supportive environment that encourages continuous improvement and accountability. With a focus on meaningful contributions and career growth, we provide our employees with the tools and resources needed to thrive in their roles.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of R&D
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its products thoroughly. Understand their values and recent developments. We want you to walk in feeling confident and ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their needs, especially in product lifecycle excellence and compliance.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your hands-on experience! When discussing your past roles, focus on specific projects where you led engineering teams or delivered successful NPD. We want to hear about your execution focus and how you tackled challenges head-on.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we’re always looking for passionate individuals who can contribute to our culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of R&D
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Head of R&D role. Highlight your experience in leading engineering teams and delivering complex projects, especially in electronics or instrumentation. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this hands-on role. Share specific examples of your past successes in product lifecycle management and compliance to grab our attention.
Showcase Your Leadership Style:We’re looking for someone who can lead and develop teams effectively. In your application, give us a glimpse of your collaborative leadership style and how you've built a culture of accountability and continuous improvement in previous roles.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team at StudySmarter!
How to prepare for a job interview at Catalyst
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you’re well-versed in the specifics of product lifecycle management and compliance standards relevant to the role. Brush up on your knowledge of IEC, ISO, and any other regulations that might come up during the interview.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your experience in leading engineering teams and driving successful NPD projects. Be ready to discuss how you've built a culture of accountability and continuous improvement within your teams.
✨Be Data-Driven
Since this role requires a structured, data-driven approach, come prepared with metrics or KPIs from your previous projects. Discuss how you’ve used these to track progress and improve performance in engineering delivery.
✨Collaboration is Key
Emphasise your experience working across multiple locations and with external partners. Share specific examples of how you’ve aligned priorities and coordinated execution with teams in different regions to achieve common goals.
