Head of Product Engineering

Materials Analysis is an Oxford Instruments Business Unit that manages our Electron Microscopy and Mechanical Microscopy products, Atomic Force Microscopes, Raman Microscopes and Benchtop NMR Products. We are part of the wider Oxford Instruments Group that also includes Andor Technology, NanoScience, Plasma Technology and X-Ray Technology. With a sixty-year history, and fourteen Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, our world-class products and technologies are helping our customers to address the greatest challenges of the 21st century.

The Role

We are looking for a Head of Project Engineering to lead our Product Engineering function and act as a key interface between R&D, Production, Operations and the wider business. This is a hands‑on leadership role combining product engineering, compliance and quality management, ensuring robust release processes and high‑quality, compliant products.

You will be responsible for structuring and running the “back‑end” of R&D: establishing processes, managing documentation, guiding the team, and ensuring smooth transitions from development to production.

This is a highly visible on‑site role within a collaborative R&D and production environment.

Key Responsibilities

Product Engineering Leadership

• Lead and develop the Product Engineering team
• Own and manage Product Engineering processes, including:
• Design freezes
• Pilot series
• Iterative improvement loops
• Process freezes and volume gates
• Coordinate cross‑functionally with R&D, Operations, Supply Chain and Product Management to support smooth product launches
• Clarify technical issues, prioritise tasks and resources, and ensure delivery against timelines and cost targets
• Ensure transparent communication on technical feasibility, risks, timelines and costs
• Own BOM management and continuous improvement
• Drive continuous product improvements after process freeze
• Identify and close process gaps between R&D and Operations
• Oversee realisation of SCS solutions, coordinating technical planning, construction and production
• Facilitate lessons‑learned sessions after major SCS projects to determine future productisation
• Contribute to strategic initiatives such as:
• ERP and PLM development
• Modularisation and variant management
• Digitalisation of technical processes and workflows
• Manage Product Engineering‑related change and improvement processes across multiple departments

Compliance

• Coordinate compliance activities for all new products through pilot series
• Manage compliance challenges and escalations (e.g. customer‑specific requirements)
• Organise and maintain compliance documentation
• Support CE and EMC/EMV‑related activities
• Coordinate contributions from other departments where required
• Act as the internal interface to compliance experts (expert knowledge remains with the central compliance team)
• Support release processes requiring external compliance sign‑off

Quality Management

• Take overall responsibility for internal production quality standards
• Establish systems to track, analyse and evaluate test and measurement data
• Ensure quality processes support production rather than create additional burden (smart, pragmatic tooling and workflows)
• Coordinate and support production in case of quality issues
• Act as R&D’s interface to the ISO responsible person, supporting:
• Process mapping and version control
• Identification and closure of R&D process gaps in line with ISO requirements
• Drive the completion of documentation gaps within Product Engineering and coordinate closure across R&D

What We’re Looking For

• Strong experience with high‑tech products in a product or project engineering environment
• Proven people leadership and team coordination experience
• Highly organised, structured, and pragmatic problem‑solver
• Strong understanding of quality, compliance, release and industrialisation processes
• Background or training in Six Sigma, quality management or similar methodologies
• Experience working towards or within ISO‑compliant environments
• Ability to balance “what is required” with a focus on delivering a truly excellent product
• Confident communicator, comfortable operating at the interface between engineering and the wider organisation
• Strong project management skills
• Willingness to attend training and further develop expertise in ISO, compliance and quality

Please submit applications in English, with your CV and covering letter. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an initial Teams call, with the opportunity to learn more about the role.

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