Head of Engineering SRPS

Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA; Blyth; Hybrid; Confidential; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days holiday plus bank holidays

Hybrid working available

Company car or monthly car payment

Private medical

Job summary

Drager is seeking a Head of R&D ERS to lead an engineering family including Mechanical, Electronics, Software and Systems teams. You will shape strategy, governance and capacity planning, ensuring safety, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance across product lifecycles.

You will promote digital engineering, model-based development, and AI-enabled workflows while partnering with Product, Quality and Supply Chain to drive business value.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in a large engineering organisation within product development.
• Experience managing managers and large multidisciplinary teams (>30).
• Proven track record leading Mechanical, Electronics and Software Engineering.
• Experience in regulated product development environments.
• Experience with global and distributed development organisations.
• Strong understanding of product lifecycle engineering.
• Experience implementing digital engineering, model-based engineering or automation.
• Experience introducing and scaling AI-supported engineering practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a large R&D Engineering organisation across multiple disciplines.
• Define and execute engineering strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Establish governance, processes, tools and development methodologies.
• Drive AI adoption and digital engineering within engineering workflows.
• Collaborate with Product Management, Quality and Supply Chain.
• Manage resources, capacity and KPI monitoring across projects.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Engineering governance

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

People development

Problem solving

Decision making

Innovation

AI adoption

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree preferred

MBA or equivalent desirable

Job description

Who we are

Every life is unique and so are you!

At Drager's we protect, support and rescue lives day in and day out. We are interested in you if you have the desire to work for an organisation that does something more, something that is truly worth working for.

As an international leader in medical and safety technology, we develop pioneering devices, software, services and solutions that people around the world trust. Wherever Drager products are used, it's about the most important thing: it's about life.

About the role

• Leadership accountability for Engineering teams including Mechanical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Verification & Validation, Technical Documentation, UX Design and Product Compliance.
• Define and execute the engineering strategy aligned with product, technology and business objectives.
• Establish and continuously improve engineering governance, processes, tools and development methodologies.
• Lead and develop a large R&D Engineering organisation
• Build organisational capabilities through strategic workforce planning, competency development and succession planning.
• Own engineering resource allocation and capacity management across projects, innovation activities and lifecycle engineering.
• Ensure technical quality, product safety, cybersecurity and regulatory compliance throughout the product lifecycle.
• Drive engineering productivity through digital engineering methods, automation and model-based development approaches.
• Define and monitor engineering KPIs, quality metrics and organisational performance indicators.
• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Quality, Supply Chain and Service organisations.
• Build and maintain an active cross-functional network, driving alignment, collaboration and effective resolution of competing priorities across stakeholder groups.
• Represent Engineering in global communities, governance boards and strategic initiatives.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with external technology providers, universities, research institutes and development partners.
• Drive engineering standardisation, reuse and platform strategies across product portfolios.
• Promote a culture of accountability, customer focus, innovation, continuous learning and collaboration
• Drive engineering decisions in highly regulated environments while balancing regulatory requirements, technical risks and business objectives.
• Lead and coordinate capture of IP and drive innovation
• Artificial Intelligence & Digital Engineering Responsibilities

Artificial Intelligence & Digital Engineering Responsibilities

• Define and implement AI adoption strategies within Engineering in alignment with R&D ERS target
• Drive integration of AI-assisted engineering workflows across requirements engineering, design, software development, testing and technical documentation.
• Member of R&D ERS Leadership Team.

Shared responsibilities

All employees have a responsibility:

• to comply with the Integrated Management System (IMS) and minimise any impact on the environment whilst carrying out their duties.
• to ensure and promote safe working conditions for all employees, visitors and contractors by implementing, monitoring and complying with occupational health & safety provisions
• to embed our WeLEAD competencies - I build trust, I create value for the customer, I enable others, I provide direction, I embrace diversity, I deliver results.

Reporting Relationships

Manager

• Head of R&D ERS

Size of team/environment

• 11 Direct Reports within a team of 70.

Role Requirements

Education/Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Systems Engineering or related technical field
• Master's Degree preferred
• Additional business qualification (MBA or equivalent) desirable

Related Experience

• Leadership experience in an Engineering organisation within a product development environment.
• Leadership experience managing managers and/or large multidisciplinary teams (>30 employees).
• Proven experience leading Mechanical, Electronics and Software Engineering organizations.
• Experience in systems engineering and development of complex hardware-software systems.
• Experience in regulated product development environments.
• Experience with global and distributed development organizations.
• Strong understanding of product lifecycle engineering
• Proven track record in strategic workforce planning and capability development.
• Experience implementing digital engineering, model-based engineering or engineering automation approaches.
• Experience introducing and scaling AI-supported engineering practices preferred.
• Experience managing significant engineering budgets and resources.
• Project and program management experience.
• Six Sigma Black Belt, Lean Leadership or equivalent qualification desirable.

Skills, Special Competencies

• Strong strategic leadership and organisational development skills.
• Deep understanding of modern engineering disciplines and development methodologies.
• Ability to lead organisational change and transformation.
• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong networking and collaboration skills in international environments.
• Strong coaching and people development capabilities.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to balance innovation, quality, compliance and business objectives.
• Ability to resolve conflicts and build alignment across functions and locations.
• High degree of business acumen and customer orientation.
• Sense of urgency, accountability and result orientation.
• Ability to identify engineering use cases for AI applications.
• Experience with AI-supported software development, testing and documentation processes.
• Knowledge of AI governance, cybersecurity and responsible AI principles.
• Ability to lead AI adoption and capability-building initiatives within engineering organizations.

Drager's Benefits

• 27 days holiday plus bank holidays, with option to purchase up to 3 additional days
• Flexi scheme
• Hybrid working available
• Company car or monthly car payment allowance
• Private medical
• Discounted critical illness cover, dental cover and partner life assurance
• Healthcare cash plan
• Salary sacrifice car scheme
• Subsidised canteen
• Discounted shopping & leisure vouchers
• Cycle to Work
• Gym membership discounts - up to 25%
• Charity Giving scheme

We are open to flexible working and will consider a range of options, including adjustments to working hours, patterns, and location, depending on the needs of the role. If you have specific requirements, we encourage you to discuss them with us as part of the application process.

Drager's dedication

At Drager we have a clear vision, to be an organisation with a working environment that includes a diverse mix of talented people who want to come, stay and grow.

We ensure candidates with the required qualifications and experience will be considered for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

All are welcome to apply!