Head- Innovation and R&D

Job Title:

Role Overview

The Head of Innovation and R&D drives technological advancement and new product development by managing innovation teams, engineering design, and prototyping. This leadership role collaborates closely with marketing and sales teams to ensure innovations align with market needs and business objectives. The role entails setting strategic direction for research and development activities to foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and competitive advantage.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and develop a high-performance innovation and R&D team to achieve business and technology goals.
• Oversee the full innovation pipeline from ideation through prototyping, testing, and commercialization, ensuring alignment with market demands and corporate strategy.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, sales, manufacturing, and procurement to integrate customer insights and expedite time-to-market.
• Develop and implement R&D strategies that balance innovation, technological feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitor activities to inform innovation roadmaps and maintain market leadership.
• Manage R&D budgets, resource allocation, and external partnerships with academic institutions, suppliers, and research organizations.
• Guarantee rigorous product quality standards through systematic testing, validation, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Foster a culture of creativity, experimentation, continuous improvement, and knowledge sharing within the R&D team.
• Report progress, challenges, and outcomes of innovation initiatives to senior leadership.

Qualications & Experience

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Engineering, Science, or a related technical eld (PhD preferred for certain sectors).
• Minimum 10-15 years of progressive experience in research and development, innovation management, or product development roles, ideally in precision engineering or manufacturing.
• Proven track record of leading multidisciplinary teams and successfully bringing new products or technologies to market.
• Strong understanding of product lifecycle management, quality systems, regulatory standards, and intellectual property matters.
• Experience collaborating with marketing, sales, and manufacturing functions to balance technical and commercial requirements.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic thinking and visionary leadership with strong business acumen.
• Excellent communication, inuencing, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Advanced project management and organizational abilities to manage multiple innovation initiatives.
• Technical expertise in engineering design, prototyping technologies, and relevant manufacturing processes.
• Analytical mindset with problem-solving capabilities to resolve technical and market challenges.
• Ability to foster an innovative mindset and build high-performance teams.