Technical Project Manager – NPD / Manufacturing

Search Beyond Limited; London Borough of Bromley; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Search Beyond Limited on the Kent/London Border is seeking a Technical Project Manager to lead NPD and manufacturing projects from idea to launch. You will own plans, budgets, risks and stage gates, keeping engineers, suppliers and test labs aligned and reporting to senior leadership.

The role requires 5+ years in manufacturing project management, a technical degree, and strong planning skills with MS Project/Smartsheet and Excel.

Qualifications

• 5+ years managing technical product projects in a manufacturing business, using stage gate or a similar NPI process.
• A degree in engineering, product design or a technical subject, or equivalent experience.
• Strong planning skills using MS Project, Smartsheet or similar, plus good Excel.
• Experience managing project budgets, suppliers and external test houses.
• Technical enough to read drawings, BOMs, test reports and DFMEAs and challenge them.
• Calm, organised and persistent, with clear and concise written updates.

Responsibilities

• Building and managing plans for NPD projects and larger product changes: tasks, owners, dependencies and milestones.
• Running projects through a stage gate process, preparing gate packs and recording decisions.
• Tracking spend against budget across tooling, prototypes, testing and certification.
• Replanning quickly when a test fails or a supplier slips, and showing the impact on time and cost.
• Coordinating testing with the certification team and accredited labs, and working with purchasing on quotes, tooling and samples.
• Leading launches across sales, marketing, operations and production, then running post-launch reviews.
• Chairing weekly project meetings and producing concise reports for senior leadership.
• Keeping project records accurate, including evidence for R&D tax relief claims.

Skills

Project management

NPD process

Manufacturing industry

Stakeholder communication

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

MS Project

Smartsheet

Excel

Job description

Technical Project Manager – NPD / Manufacturing

Location: Kent/London Border (on site)

Salary: Up to £60,000 + benefits

Contract: Permanent, full time

Can you take a new product from approved idea to launch, and keep engineers, suppliers and test labs on track along the way?

I’m recruiting for an established, privately owned manufacturer of specialist engineered building products, selling into the UK and international markets. Their product team runs a busy pipeline of new product development and product change projects, and many need independent testing and certification before launch.

As Technical Project Manager, you’ll own the plans, budgets, risks and stage gates across that pipeline, giving senior leadership a clear weekly view of where every project stands and what decisions are needed.

What you’ll be doing

• Building and managing plans for NPD projects and larger product changes: tasks, owners, dependencies and milestones
• Running projects through a stage gate process, preparing gate packs and recording decisions
• Tracking spend against budget across tooling, prototypes, testing and certification
• Replanning quickly when a test fails or a supplier slips, and showing the impact on time and cost
• Coordinating testing with the certification team and accredited labs, and working with purchasing on quotes, tooling and samples
• Leading launches across sales, marketing, operations and production, then running post-launch reviews
• Chairing weekly project meetings and producing concise reports for senior leadership
• Keeping project records accurate, including evidence for R&D tax relief claims

What you’ll bring

• 5+ years managing technical product projects in a manufacturing business, using stage gate or a similar NPI process
• A degree in engineering, product design or a technical subject, or equivalent experience
• Strong planning skills using MS Project, Smartsheet or similar, plus good Excel
• Experience managing project budgets, suppliers and external test houses
• Technical enough to read drawings, BOMs, test reports and DFMEAs and challenge them
• Calm, organised and persistent, with clear and concise written updates

APM, PRINCE2 or PMP, experience with certified or regulated products (building products, fire-rated products, medical devices) or running projects across international sites would all be a plus.

Why apply?

• Visible role with direct exposure to senior leadership
• Varied projects, from brand-new products to improvements on existing ranges
• Products where quality and compliance really matter
• Occasional international travel and work with colleagues overseas