Head of New Product Development & Portfolio Innovation

JFD Ltd; Westhill; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Early finish Fridays

Private Medical Insurance

Life Assurance

Cycle to work scheme

Company Pension

Job summary

James Fisher Defence (JFD) is seeking a Head of New Product Development to shape and deliver the NPD portfolio, defining a clear pipeline of innovation that aligns with customer needs and strategic priorities.

Based in Westhill, Aberdeen or Inchinnan, Glasgow, this full-time role requires security checks and offers a competitive package, with early finish Fridays and a strong focus on safety, regulatory compliance, and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering NPD, R&D, or innovation projects.
• Strong technical leadership and ability to develop high-performing teams.
• Commercially astute with understanding of how engineering decisions impact business outcomes.
• Experience operating within governance frameworks and ensuring compliance.
• Excellent communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Engineering degree with Chartered Engineer status (or willingness to obtain); defence sector experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and monitor delivery across the NPD portfolio, ensuring progress to timelines and budgets.
• Drive accountability across project teams to deliver against plans with effective oversight.
• Ensure consistent application of engineering processes and best practices.
• Develop and maintain an NPD portfolio roadmap aligned to strategy.
• Ensure compliance with safety standards, governance, and customer requirements.
• Collaborate with NPD Project Managers and Integrated Project Teams for portfolio execution.
• Ensure NPD activities meet regulatory, export control, and cybersecurity requirements.
• Track KPIs: schedule, cost, and capability maturity.
• Champion continuous improvement using lean, agile, and systems engineering.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder communication

Governance & compliance

Lean / Agile practices

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

James Fisher Defence (JFD) is seeking a Head of New Product Development to shape and deliver the NPD portfolio, defining a clear pipeline of innovation that aligns with customer needs and strategic priorities.

Based in Westhill, Aberdeen or Inchinnan, Glasgow, this full-time role requires security checks and offers a competitive package, with early finish Fridays and a strong focus on safety, regulatory compliance, and cross-functional collaboration.