HEAD OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
CREWE
UP TO £70,000

THE OPPORTUNITY
We are recruiting for a Head of Research & Development to take ownership of all R&D and New Product Development activity for a growing, values-led organisation.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership role suited to someone who excels in project and programme management, innovation governance, and end-to-end delivery.

While this role sits at Head of Department level, it is not a large people-management position, instead, it focuses on leading R&D activity through coordination, influence, and cross-functional collaboration.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will define and deliver the R&D and innovation strategy, manage the full R&D budget, and ensure that new products are taken from concept through to successful market launch in a structured, commercially focused way.

THE ROLE

• Own and manage the full R&D and NPD budget, ensuring effective resource allocation


• Define, implement, and evolve the R&D and innovation strategy aligned to business goals


• Develop and maintain multi-year product and technology roadmaps


• Establish clear governance, controls, and reporting frameworks for R&D activity


• Track and record R&D hours to a high standard to support tax reclaims


• Oversee intellectual property protection, ensuring NDAs are in place and liaising with legal advisors


• Lead the full product lifecycle from ideation and feasibility through design, validation, launch, and review


• Ensure all developments meet regulatory, safety, quality, and performance standards


• Coordinate closely with engineering, operations, commercial, and supply chain teams to ensure delivery


• Own the R&D portfolio, ensuring projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to specification


• Track progress against KPIs and continuously improve development processes


• Identify, manage, and mitigate technical, commercial, and delivery risks


• Stakeholder & External Engagement


• Build strong relationships with senior internal stakeholders and external partners


• Ensure compliance with all relevant industry standards, regulations, and certifications


• Champion structured innovation, creativity, and emerging technologies


• Drive improvements in sustainability, product performance, and manufacturability


• Embed best-practice R&D and project management approaches across the organisation

THE PERSON

• Proven experience in a Head of Research & Development, Research & Development Lead, Research & Development Manager or similar role leading R&D, innovation, engineering, or technical programmes in a manufacturing or technical environment


• Strong project and programme management capability, with experience owning multiple workstreams


• Background in new product development and commercialisation


• Experience managing budgets and working at a strategic level


• Confident communicator with strong stakeholder management skills


• Comfortable operating in a hands-on, delivery-focused Head of Department role


• Highly organised, resilient, and able to execute against deadlines

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