Job Description:

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
• Working closely with production to ensure design for manufacture (DFM) and assembly (DFA)

This is a role for someone who still enjoys being close to the detail — CAD, problem-solving, testing, refining — not just managing from a distance.

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
• Rail, infrastructure, utilities or similar regulated environments

You’ll bring:

• 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
• A mindset focused on improving, evolving and challenging designs

Leadership experience is important — but this is not a “sit back” role. You’ll still be hands-on in design and development work.

The Environment

• Growing SME with strong technical ambition
• Loyal, long-standing team and collaborative culture
• Opportunity to shape how products are designed and developed
• Fast-moving, where ideas can actually be implemented

The business is particularly suited to someone who:

• Enjoys building and improving products, not maintaining legacy designs
• Is naturally curious, forward-thinking and commercially aware
• Wants to make a visible impact on a product range and engineering function

Why Join?

• 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
• Clear opportunity to modernise and elevate the engineering function

This is an urgent hire and interviews will move quickly for the right profile.

For a confidential discussion, contact Emily or Sammy at PWR.

METPERM