R&D Engineering Manager

Bluefors; Helsinki; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee share program

Flexible working environment

Non-smoking workplace

Job summary

Bluefors, the world-leading cryogenic measurement systems manufacturer, seeks an R&D Engineering Manager to lead a growing mechanical and electrical engineering team within Systems & Options. The role focuses on people leadership, clear direction, and delivering high-quality products.

You will manage performance, hire and onboard, and ensure projects move from Research concept to volume production while collaborating with Research, Custom Solutions Engineering, product management, manufacturing,

Qualifications

• Leadership mindset focused on growing and mentoring a team.
• Experience leading large, growing engineering teams and managing performance.
• Strong understanding of product development lifecycles from concept to industrialization.
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Fluency in English.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of mechanical and electrical engineers as their line manager.
• Set clear goals for the team and individuals; provide regular feedback.
• Motivate and engage the team; build a high-performing culture.
• Manage performance and address underperformance as needed.
• Participate in resource planning, capacity management and recruitment; lead hiring and onboarding.
• Ensure long-term competence development aligned with business needs.
• Oversee productization projects from research concept to volume production.
• Develop engineering processes to stay agile while transitioning to volume production.
• Collaborate with Research, Custom Solutions, project management, product management, manufacturing, quality, and other stakeholders.
• Follow up and report on team output, quality, and deviations.
• Contribute to cost center budget planning and tracking.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Communication

Stakeholder management

Conflict resolution

English fluency

Education

B.Sc./M.Sc. in mechanical engineering

Tools

PDM

PLM

ERP

Job description

At Bluefors, we're enabling breakthroughs in quantum technology and scientific research through the world's leading cryogenic measurement systems and dilution refrigerators. Our solutions are trusted by researchers, universities, and quantum computing companies around the globe.

Our Systems & Options engineering team turns new technologies into products. Building on concepts developed by our Research team, the team is primarily responsible for productizing new products in the Systems and Options product families, taking them through detailed design and industrialization to launch into volume production. The team includes mechanical and electrical engineers. It works closely with our Research team and our Custom Solutions Engineering team, as well as with product management, manufacturing, quality, and other stakeholders.

We are looking for an R&D Engineering Manager who is first and foremost a people leader. This role is about leading and managing people: setting direction, building a team where skilled engineers can do their best work, and making sure the team delivers. The team is growing, and you should be ready and motivated to lead a large engineering team. The position reports to the Director, Systems & Options, and is part of Bluefors' Product Development organization.

We work with low hierarchy and short decision paths, and we move fast. Bluefors is growing rapidly. Agility is essential, but so is a systematic, repeatable way of bringing new products into volume production. Building ways of working that achieve both is a central part of this role.

We offer you an interesting, challenging, and responsible position, supported by a highly skilled and growing organization. It's an excellent opportunity for professional growth in a dynamic, enthusiastic, and professional team where we work together and support each other. Our working environment is multicultural and leaves room to grow, so you can use your full potential and keep developing your skills.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of mechanical and electrical engineers as their line manager
• Set clear goals for the team and for individuals, follow up on progress, and give regular, constructive feedback
• Motivate and engage the team, and build a collaborative, high-performing, and continuously improving team culture
• Manage performance, including addressing underperformance and taking corrective and disciplinary measures when needed
• Participate in resource planning, capacity management, and recruitment, and lead hiring and onboarding for your team
• Ensure long-term competence development in line with business needs
• Ensure effective execution of productization projects, from Research concept to volume production, through prioritization, alignment, and organizational leadership
• Develop engineering processes and ways of working that keep us agile while ensuring a systematic transition from new product to volume production
• Collaborate closely with the Research and Custom Solutions Engineering teams, project managers, product management, manufacturing, quality, and other stakeholders
• Follow up and report on team output, quality, and deviations
• Contribute to cost center budget planning and take responsibility for following up on actual figures

What We Expect From You

• B.Sc. or M.Sc. in mechanical engineering or a closely related field
• At least 6 years of experience in mechanical design and engineering of complex mechanical or electromechanical hardware products
• A people-first leadership mindset and a genuine drive to grow as a leader and manager
• Readiness and ambition to lead a large and growing team
• Strong understanding of product development and engineering lifecycles, from concept to industrialization and volume production
• Agility and comfort with change, plus the ability to balance speed with structure in a fast-growing, low-hierarchy organization
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands‑on operational management
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and conflict resolution skills
• Fluency in English

We also appreciate

• Experience in line management or team leadership of engineering teams
• Experience in cryogenics, vacuum technology, scientific instrumentation, or other complex engineering environments
• Familiarity with PDM (Product Data Management), PLM (Product Lifecycle Management), and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems
• Experience building or scaling engineering teams during periods of rapid growth
• A passion for creating environments where engineers can innovate, collaborate, and perform at their best

The world's leading manufacturer of ultra-low temperature cryogen-free dilution refrigerators.

We design and manufacture measurement systems, that can provide clean and quiet environment for scientific research, even at ultra-low temperatures. Our systems have options which include wiring and superconducting magnets and can be customized to meet the requirements of each customer. We have a strong focus on the quantum computing and information community and are here to support scientists and industries go further in their endeavors. For this we have brought together the best minds from a variety of fields. If you are a skilled physicist, technician, engineer or business professional and looking for an interesting job in multicultural environment, join our growth story at Bluefors.

Here we are curious to the core, have wide-range expertise, and have one mission: progress. Continuous development, learning, and collaboration are fundamental to our way of working. In our agile company structure customers are in direct contact with scientists and engineers who design their system. We deliver systems all around the world and the markets for our products are constantly growing. Currently we employ more than 600 professionals from over 50 different nationalities. We offer competitive benefits package, employee share program, flexible working environment and a non-smoking workplace.