Technical Director

Salop Holdings Limited; Telford; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading design and engineering firm is seeking a Technical Director to lead their design strategy and NPI. This role involves managing a cross-functional team, ensuring compliance with engineering standards, and driving the successful launch of new products. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in technical leadership, innovation in product design, and experience in market integration. You will collaborate closely with the board and other departments to align objectives and achieve business goals.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Career development opportunities

Flexible working hours

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Technical Director or similar role.
• Experience in product development from concept to market.
• Strong understanding of design and engineering principles.

Responsibilities

• Lead design strategy execution and NPI launches.
• Manage design risks and compliance with industry standards.
• Integrate customer feedback into design processes.

Skills

Leadership

Design strategy execution

Technical risk management

Project management

Cross-functional team management

Education

Relevant engineering degree

Tools

DFMEA

3D printing technologies

Robotics

Job description

Technical Director - Design

Role Purpose

• Mandate: Accelerate innovation and deliver new product Introduction (NPI) that is successful in existing and new markets through delivery of design strategy.
• Board Role: Share high-level priority-setting with the board; translate strategy into decisive roadmaps, resources, and delivery.
• Team Context: Lead a cross functional design engineering team; work through a direct report manager to remove blockers, focus effort, and raise the pace.

Outcomes

• NPI Throughput: Increase NPD delivery (2-3 new product launches in first year)
• Innovation Pipeline: Build a validated, Board‑aligned pipeline
• Market Fit & Customer Proof: Systematic customer validation at key stages
• Design Quality & Reliability: Prototype validation and prevention of scope creep
• Team Focus: Reduce scope creep; establish weekly cadence and WIP limits; improve engagement scores and cycle predictability.

Accountability

• Owns: Design strategy execution, engineering standards, resource allocation within design, stage‑gate discipline, technical risk management.
• Influences: Product portfolio priorities, pricing/positioning, investment cases; collaborates with Ops and Finance on trade‑offs.
• Commits: Delivery against Board‑agreed roadmaps; transparent reporting of risk/mitigation; escalation before schedule slips.

Core Responsibilities

• Set Pace & Focus: Translate Board priorities into monthly design KPIs
• Gateway Leadership: Install gateways with stakeholder validation, DFMEA, and reliability targets.
• Technical Direction: Define architecture choices, platform strategy, and standards; arbitrate key technical decisions.
• Responsibility range: Research and discovery to production ready.
• Resource & Capacity: Balance team workloads through manager (direct report); consultant and specialist management; fix bottlenecks (test, tooling, supplier readiness).
• Customer & Market Integration: Embed structured voice‑of‑customer; ensure requirements are testable, traceable, and risk‑rated.
• Standards and regulations: Embed compliance with industry and business standards into team and product design structure.
• Technology Integration: Embed structured AI, 3D printing and robotics into a design for manufacture structure.
• Quality & Lifecycle: Drive design for manufacturability, serviceability, and cost; own design transfer to manufacturing.
• Board Engagement: Provide clear dashboards on pipeline, risks, and investment needs; propose stop/go/accelerate decisions.
• Talent & Culture: Coach senior engineers; encourage deep work and high‑leverage innovation; raise standards without micro‑managing