Engineering Manager, R&D — Material Characterization
PerkinElmer | High Wycombe, UK
Reports to: Director, R&D — Material Characterization
Scope: Line and delivery leadership of the multidisciplinary Material Characterization R&D engineering team — mechanical, optical, electronics, software and firmware — developing IR, UV-Vis and Thermal Analysis instruments (Fourier transform infrared spectrometers, UV-Visible spectrometers and differential scanning calorimeters).
Lead and develop the multidisciplinary engineering team responsible for the design, development and support of PerkinElmer’s Material Characterization hardware portfolio — high-precision optical and thermal-analysis instruments spanning optical benches, detectors and sources, precision mechanisms, embedded electronics and firmware, and instrument control software. The role owns the day-to-day of the engineering project portfolio — new product development, platform work and sustaining engineering — and is accountable for the capability, performance and growth of the team. Working closely with the Director of R&D and the Systems Engineering lead — who owns system architecture, requirements and design verification — the Engineering Manager is accountable for detailed discipline design, build and delivery, turning roadmap commitments into predictable, high-quality execution and building an environment where engineers do their best work.
1. Team leadership and development
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Lead, coach and develop a multidisciplinary team of engineers across mechanical, optical, electronics, software and firmware disciplines.
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Own resource planning and allocation across projects; balance new product development, platform work and sustaining engineering.
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Recruit, retain and grow talent; build succession depth and technical capability across the team.
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Set clear objectives, give regular feedback and manage performance with a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
2. Delivery and execution
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Deliver projects to agreed scope, schedule, cost and quality; improve predictability through disciplined planning and risk management.
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Uphold phase-gate and design-review rigour in partnership with Systems Engineering; ensure detailed-design decisions are documented, reviewed and risk-assessed.
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Track and report progress, risks and mitigations to the Director of R&D and project stakeholders.
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Remove blockers and manage dependencies across disciplines, suppliers and partner sites.
3. Engineering excellence and Design for Excellence
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Embed Design for Excellence — manufacturability, serviceability, reliability, quality, cost, sustainability and usability — in everyday engineering practice, including optical and precision-mechanical assemblies.
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Champion modular, reusable design across optical, precision-mechanical, electronic and firmware sub-systems, and reduce complexity across product families.
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Develop and maintain engineering processes, standards and tools that raise the quality and efficiency of the team’s output.
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Support value engineering and total cost of goods improvements without compromising customer outcomes.
4. Cross-functional collaboration
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Work with Product Management, Science, Systems Engineering, Operations, Quality, Service and Supply Chain to deliver products that succeed commercially and operationally.
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Translate customer and business needs into engineering plans and priorities with the Director of R&D and Product Management.
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Support manufacturing transfer, supplier qualification, alternative sourcing and resolution of production and field issues.
5. Quality, compliance and continuous improvement
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Ensure compliance with quality, regulatory and product-development requirements.
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Capture and apply learning from development, launch, production and the field.
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Promote appropriate IP generation and protection.
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Understand current projects, priorities, risks and roadmap commitments; build relationships across the team and with key stakeholders.
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Assess team capability, workload and succession risk; agree development and hiring priorities with the Director of R&D.
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Review project execution, design-review and planning practices; identify near-term opportunities to improve predictability.
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Take ownership of in-flight deliverables and establish a clear reporting rhythm with the Director of R&D and project stakeholders.
Qualifications and experience
Essential
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Degree in Engineering, Physics or a related technical discipline.
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Significant experience developing complex, high-precision optical, electro-mechanical or scientific instrumentation in an industrial R&D environment.
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Proven line management or team leadership of multidisciplinary engineering teams.
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Track record of delivering products from concept through launch and sustaining support within a structured product-development framework.
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Strong planning, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
Preferred
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Advanced degree (MSc, PhD) or equivalent experience.
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Domain knowledge of optical, spectroscopic or thermal-analysis instrumentation and the underlying physics and engineering — optical-bench design, detectors and sources, precision mechanisms, embedded control, thermal management and signal processing.
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Experience with modular architecture, platform development and Design for Excellence methodologies.
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Familiarity with hybrid Agile and phase-gate delivery models and modern engineering toolchains.
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Experience working across sites and suppliers in a global, matrixed organisation.
PerkinElmer is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace.
