PerkinElmer
Engineering Manager - Mat Char
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Engineering Manager - Mat Char
Location(s): High Wycombe
Job Description:
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).
Purpose of the Role:
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.
Key Responsibilities:
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Team leadership and development
- Lead, coach and develop a multidisciplinary team of engineers across mechanical, optical, electronics, software and firmware disciplines.
- Own resource planning and allocation across projects; balance new product development, platform work and sustaining engineering.
- Recruit, retain and grow talent; build succession depth and technical capability across the team.
- Set clear objectives, give regular feedback and manage performance with a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
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Delivery and execution
- Deliver projects to agreed scope, schedule, cost and quality; improve predictability through disciplined planning and risk management.
- Uphold phase-gate and design-review rigour in partnership with Systems Engineering; ensure detailed-design decisions are documented, reviewed and risk-assessed.
- Track and report progress, risks and mitigations to the Director of R&D and project stakeholders.
- Remove blockers and manage dependencies across disciplines, suppliers and partner sites.
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Engineering excellence and Design for Excellence
- Embed Design for Excellence — manufacturability, serviceability, reliability, quality, cost, sustainability and usability — in everyday engineering practice, including optical and precision-mechanical assemblies.
- Champion modular, reusable design across optical, precision-mechanical, electronic and firmware sub-systems, and reduce complexity across product families.
- Develop and maintain engineering processes, standards and tools that raise the quality and efficiency of the team’s output.
- Support value engineering and total cost of goods improvements without compromising customer outcomes.
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Cross-functional collaboration
- Work with Product Management, Science, Systems Engineering, Operations, Quality, Service and Supply Chain to deliver products that succeed commercially and operationally.
- Translate customer and business needs into engineering plans and priorities with the Director of R&D and Product Management.
- Support manufacturing transfer, supplier qualification, alternative sourcing and resolution of production and field issues.
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Quality, compliance and continuous improvement
- Ensure compliance with quality, regulatory and product-development requirements.
- Capture and apply learning from development, launch, production and the field.
- Promote appropriate IP generation and protection.
First 90 days:
- Understand current projects, priorities, risks and roadmap commitments; build relationships across the team and with key stakeholders.
- Assess team capability, workload and succession risk; agree development and hiring priorities with the Director of R&D.
- Review project execution, design-review and planning practices; identify near-term opportunities to improve predictability.
- Take ownership of in-flight deliverables and establish a clear reporting rhythm with the Director of R&D and project stakeholders.
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Qualifications and experience:
Essential
- Degree in Engineering, Physics or a related technical discipline.
- Significant experience developing complex, high-precision optical, electro-mechanical or scientific instrumentation in an industrial R&D environment.
- Proven line management or team leadership of multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Track record of delivering products from concept through launch and sustaining support within a structured product-development framework.
- Strong planning, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
Preferred
- Advanced degree (MSc, PhD) or equivalent experience.
- 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.
- Experience with modular architecture, platform development and Design for Excellence methodologies.
- Familiarity with hybrid Agile and phase-gate delivery models and modern engineering toolchains.
- 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.
Are you ready to help improve the lives of millions of people and create a healthier world? When you work at PerkinElmer, that’s exactly what you’ll do. From our dedicated scientists and world-class operations employees to our innovative R&D professionals and committed sales and service groups, we’re a unique team of 5,000+ global colleagues who come to work every day knowing we’re making a difference.
Through innovation, collaboration, and believing in our mission, we strive to create an inspiring and inclusive culture for our employees, so that they can be their best and, together, create a better tomorrow.
Join us today.
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