Involve Recruitment (Midlands) Ltd have partnered with a well‑established manufacturer to appoint a Product Development Lead. This is a critical hire, replacing a long‑standing technical leader and offering the chance to shape the next generation of products within a highly specialised sector.
This role is ideal for a hands‑on senior product engineer who still enjoys solving technical problems, but is ready to take ownership of the product function and lead a small, capable team.
The Role
This is a 70% hands‑on / 30% leadership position, combining technical depth with strategic responsibility. You will take full ownership of the product development lifecycle — from concept through to launch — while leading and developing a small internal team.
Key Responsibilities
- Owning the product roadmap, lifecycle, and range strategy
- Leading all new product development projects end‑to‑end
- Driving continuous improvement across existing products (tolerances, materials, modular systems)
- Managing supplier engineering and component cost optimisation
- Leading the patent process and innovation strategy (with external attorneys)
- Line managing a team including engineers and a product development specialist
- Acting as the senior technical representative in key external discussions (OEMs, B2B partners, industry bodies)
Qualifications & Skills
- A proven track record of launching complex mechanical or precision‑engineered products
- Strong hands‑on engineering capability (CAD review, tolerances, materials, prototyping issues)
- Experience leading small technical teams (2‑5 people)
- Exposure to regulated or certified product environments
- Experience working with patents (named inventor or closely involved)
- A strategic mindset, with the ability to own and evolve a product portfolio
- A decisive, structured, and data‑driven approach
Experience in sectors such as Precision Engineering, Safety‑critical hardware, Automotive component, Medical devices, Hydraulics / fasteners or similar is desirable.
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