R&D Manager, Cooling team

Bluefors Oy; Helsinki; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Bluefors Oy, a global leader in cryogenic measurement systems, seeks an experienced R&D Manager to guide a multidisciplinary team of technicians, engineers, and specialists. You will coach, develop, and align capabilities with business goals, shaping a high-performing culture in a technically demanding environment.

You will balance strategic leadership with hands-on management, drive talent development, engage stakeholders, and ensure resources meet long-term product development priorities.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading multidisciplinary R&D teams.
• Proven track record in people leadership and talent development.
• Strong understanding of product development lifecycles.
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with operational management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary R&D team of technicians and engineers.
• Foster high-performing team culture and continuous improvement.
• Drive engagement, performance management, and organizational growth.
• Ensure resource planning and long-term competence development.
• Develop engineering processes and ways of working.
• Collaborate with technical leaders, PM, manufacturing, quality, and other stakeholders.
• Support R&D project execution through prioritization and leadership.

Skills

Multidisciplinary team leadership

People development

Stakeholder management

English fluency

Education

Engineering degree

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.

In our Cooling Team, we develop and continuously improve the core technologies behind Bluefors' world-leading cryogenic cooling systems. The team brings together deep expertise in cryogenics, thermal and mechanical design, simulation, testing, technology development, and scientific research, and includes technicians, engineers, simulation specialists, scientists, and other technical experts working at the heart of our product development.

We are looking for an experienced R&D Manager to lead part of this multidisciplinary team and to further strengthen its people’s leadership, capabilities, and ways of working. This role is about creating an environment where highly skilled experts can do their best work, supporting the development of both people and technology in an area that is central to Bluefors' continued technology leadership. This position reports to the Director, Cooling and is part of Bluefors' Product Development organization.

In this role you will focus on creating an environment where experts can do their best work. The team led by this R&D Manager will include R&D technicians, mechanical engineers, simulation engineers, and other R&D specialists working in a highly technical and multidisciplinary environment. This includes coaching and developing employees, strengthening team capabilities, improving ways of working, and ensuring that resources and competencies are aligned with business priorities. As the role is situated in a highly technical R&D environment, we value a solid technical background gained through education and/or work experience, for example in mechanical engineering, hardware development, cryogenics, industrial technology, scientific instrumentation, or other complex engineering environments.

We offer you an interesting, challenging, and responsible position, supported by a highly skilled and growing organization. This is an excellent opportunity for your own professional growth in a dynamic, enthusiastic, and professional team where we work together and support each other. We offer a multicultural working environment with room to grow, where you can fully use your potential and continuously develop your skills.

Main responsibilities:

• Lead, coach, and develop a multidisciplinary team of technicians, mechanical engineers, simu-lation engineers, and technical specialists
• Build a high-performing, collaborative, and continuously improving team culture
• Drive employee engagement, talent development, performance management, and organizational growth
• Ensure effective resource planning, capacity management, and long-term competence development in line with business needs
• Develop engineering processes, ways of working, and organizational effectiveness
• Collaborate closely with technical leaders, project managers, product management, manufacturing, quality, and other stakeholders
• Support R&D project execution through prioritization, alignment, and organizational leadership

What we expect from you

• Relevant technical background from education and/or work experience, for example in hard-ware development, cryogenics, industrial technology, scientific instrumentation, or other com-plex engineering environments.
• Extensive experience leading multidisciplinary engineering or R&D teams and organizations.
• Proven success in people leadership, coaching, talent development, and organizational development
• Strong understanding of product development, engineering lifecycles, and how high-performing R&D organizations operate and improve
• Experience leading teams through growth, transformation, and change in a business-driven environment
• Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on operational management
• Excellent stakeholder management, collaboration, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Fluency in English

We also appreciate

• Experience scaling engineering organizations during periods of rapid growth
• Familiarity with modern engineering management practices and organizational effectiveness methodologies
• Experience or familiarity with ERP systems
• A passion for creating environments where technical experts can innovate, collaborate, and perform at their best

Please contact Matti Manninen, Director, cooling via email: [e-mail].