Engineering Manager - Mat Char

When joining PerkinElmer, you select an experienced and trusted leader in scientific solutions, with the support of a global service network and distribution centers, providing the right solution, at the right time, to meet critical customer needs. With over an 80+ year legacy of advancing science and a mission of innovating for a healthier world, our dedicated team collaborates closely with commercial, government, academic and healthcare customers to deliver our broad portfolio of analytical solutions, and OneSource services.

Job Title

Location(s)

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

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.