At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering teams to deliver innovative products on time and ensure compliance with standards.
- Company: 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.
My client is a leading international technology manufacturer headquartered in County Durham and is looking for a people-driven Director 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.
Reporting to the Global Head of R&D, the Director 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
Director of R&D in London employer: Catalyst
As a leading international technology manufacturer based in County Durham, our company is committed to fostering a dynamic and inclusive work environment where innovation thrives. We offer competitive benefits, a strong focus on employee development, and the opportunity to lead high-impact projects in a collaborative setting. Join us to be part of a culture that values accountability, continuous improvement, and cross-site collaboration, ensuring your contributions are recognised and rewarded.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Director of R&D in London
✨Leverage Innovation Hubs
Tap into local innovation hubs and research centres. These places often host events and workshops where you can meet like-minded people and industry leaders. Plus, they might have job openings that aren't widely advertised, so keep your ears open!
✨Showcase Your Projects
Turn your past innovation projects into compelling stories. Create a portfolio showcasing your creativity and problem-solving skills. This can give hiring managers a real flavour of what you can bring to the table at companies like Catalyst.
✨Connect at Industry Conferences
Make it a point to attend industry conferences and seminars focused on R&D and innovation management. These events are fantastic for networking and often have job boards or career fairs where you can connect directly with firms looking for talent.
✨Use Your University’s Resources
If you're fresh out of university, don't forget to tap into your institution's career services. They often have exclusive partnerships with companies seeking new talent in R&D, especially for full-time roles. It's a good shortcut to landing a gig at places like Catalyst.
We think you need these skills to ace Director of R&D in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Creative Thinking:In innovation and R&D management, it's all about thinking outside the box. Make sure your CV highlights any projects or experiences that showcase your creative problem-solving skills. Use specific examples to illustrate how you've developed and implemented innovative ideas in previous roles.
Tailor Your Experience to R&D:When you're crafting your CV, focus on your experience in research and development. Highlight any relevant projects you've worked on, including methodologies used and results achieved. This will show us at Catalyst that you understand the R&D process and can contribute meaningfully to our projects.
Let Your Passion Shine in the Cover Letter:For a full-time role like this, your cover letter should reflect your genuine passion for innovation and development. Share your excitement about the opportunity to work at Catalyst and touch on how your goals align with our mission. This helps us see your motivation for wanting to join our team!
Quantify Your Achievements:Numbers speak volumes in R&D! Whenever possible, quantify your achievements in your CV. Whether it’s a percentage improvement in project outcomes, the budget size you’ve managed, or the number of successful products you've launched, these figures will help paint a clearer picture of your impact and capabilities.
How to prepare for a job interview at Catalyst
✨Show Off Your Innovative Thinking
In an Innovation R&D Management role at Catalyst, they're going to want to see how you approach problem-solving. Be ready to discuss previous projects where you introduced a new idea or process. Highlight your ability to think outside the box and provide examples where your innovations drove significant results.
✨Familiarity with Tools and Technologies
Make sure you're clued up on the latest tools and technologies related to innovation management, such as project management software and data analysis platforms. Being able to discuss specific tools you’ve used or have experience with will show Catalyst that you’re ready to hit the ground running.
✨Demonstrate Collaboration Skills
Since this is a full-time gig, emphasising your teamwork skills will be essential. In innovation, collaboration often sparks the best ideas, so be ready to talk about how you've worked effectively within cross-functional teams in your past roles. Have concrete examples at the ready!
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect some scenario-based questions in your interview that reflect real challenges you might face in the role. £At Catalyst, they might want to see how you handle tight deadlines or manage conflicting ideas within a team. Prepare some responses that demonstrate your critical thinking and decisiveness in high-pressure situations.
