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.