Head of Engineering – Imaging Systems – R&D – Defence
Location: on-site position in the Cambridge area
Salary: Circa £100,000 to £115,000 Base + Benefits + Bonus (potentially flex for the right person)
Overview:
An opportunity to lead the whole engineering function of an established, award-winning technology business.
Our client is a Cambridge-based company that designs and manufactures advanced imaging systems for demanding applications. They have in-house R&D and a global reputation for quality.
They are now looking for a Head of Engineering to lead a multidisciplinary engineering organisation. Reporting to the Director of Operations & Technology, you will take ownership of the function’s leadership, performance and delivery. You will balance innovation and technical excellence with manufacturability, reliability, cost, quality and schedule.
Responsibilities:
- Leading the managers of Electronics, Software, Mechanical and Production Engineering, Project & Programme Management, and Innovation
- Building a high-performing, accountable culture founded on ownership, urgency and continuous improvement
- Coaching and developing the engineering management team, including succession planning
- Making sure the departments operate as one integrated engineering function
- Taking overall responsibility for delivery across multiple concurrent development programmes
- Leading new product development from concept through prototyping and qualification into production
- Supporting major customer programmes, tenders and senior technical discussions
- Driving productivity through simplification, automation and AI-assisted development
- Shaping technology and engineering roadmaps with the senior leadership team, the Chief Scientist and Product Management
Desired Skills and Background:
- A degree in Engineering, Physics or a related discipline, and a strong technical background
- Significant experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams, including managing managers
- A proven track record of taking complex hardware and software products from development into manufacture
- Strong programme delivery, resource allocation and prioritisation skills
- Good commercial awareness of how engineering decisions affect cost, schedule, quality and performance
- Excellent leadership, communication and decision-making skills
- Comfort operating at both strategic and detailed technical levels
If you are an engineering leader who wants to shape both people and innovative products, we would love to hear from you.