Senior Manager R&D Wellness & Product Development (m/f/d)

Villeroy & Boch Group; Roden; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Villeroy & Boch Group in Roden invites an experienced R&D leader to head product development for wellness bathtubs and acrylic fixtures, guiding end-to-end development, industrialization and market launch while ensuring design, quality, cost and regulatory compliance.

You will lead the Wellness R&D Engineering team across the Netherlands and collaborate with global colleagues to harmonize processes and materials technology.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in product development.
• Experience with polymer-based materials and manufacturing processes.
• Experience leading structured product development processes (e.g., stage-gate).
• Hands-on experience in product design, material selection, production technologies, testing and quality validation.
• Ability to identify market opportunities and translate innovations into concepts.
• Proficient with SAP, PDM, CAD and CAE; strong problem-solving skills.
• Proven track record managing diverse, international teams.
• Excellent English and Dutch language skills; travel up to 20%.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Wellness R&D Engineering team and Technical Support Centre.
• Drive end-to-end product development and industrialization to market launch.
• Shape the global wellness material and technology roadmap.
• Harmonize development processes and digital tools across the Netherlands and Egypt.

Skills

Product development

Leadership

Engineering tools

Materials science

Stage-gate

Team management

Cross-functional

English & Dutch

Education

Bachelor’s or Master degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or Chemistry

Tools

SAP

PDM

CAD

CAE

Job description

The Villeroy & Boch Group is one of the global leaders in premium dining & lifestyle, as well as bathroom and wellness products. Founded in 1748 and headquartered in Mettlach, Germany, the company stands for innovation, design and quality. With its two main brands Villeroy & Boch and Ideal Standard, the Group has about 12.000 employees and is present in around 140 countries worldwide.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for an experienced R&D leader with strong technical expertise to join the team in Roden. As such, you are responsible for the product development management of new, innovative, and existing products of our unique wellness products, such as bathtubs and shower trays in Quaryl and acrylic, throughout the product lifecycle.

• Lead and develop the Wellness R&D Engineering team and Technical Support Centre in the Netherlands, fostering technical excellence and cross-functional collaboration.
• Drive end-to-end product development and industrialization for Wellness products from concept to market launch, ensuring compliance with design, quality, cost, timing, and regulatory requirements.
• Shape the global Wellness material and technology roadmap by identifying market trends and developing innovative materials, manufacturing technologies, and production processes.
• Strengthen global engineering capabilities by harmonizing development processes, engineering methods, digital tools, and technical expertise across the Netherlands and Egypt.

What we expect:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in mechanical engineering, Materials Science, or Chemistry
• 10+ years of experience in product development, preferably with expertise in polymer-based materials, composites, mineral cast, PMMA/acrylic, or similar advanced materials and manufacturing processes.
• Experience in leading structured product development processes (e.g., stage-gate), from concept definition through industrialization and market launch.
• Hands-on experience in product design, material selection, production technologies, testing, and quality validation.
• Ability to identify market opportunities and translate technical innovations into successful product concepts.
• Proficient in relevant engineering tools and systems (i.e. SAP, PDM, CAD, CAE) with a hands-on approach to product development and technical problem solving.
• Profound management experience including leading diverse, international and technical teams
• Enjoy working on cross-functional projects where your analytical and teamwork skills are required.
• Very good English and Dutch language skills are essential. Speaking German is a plus.
• Open to international travel for up to 20% of your working time.

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Wat zoeken we?

Wij zoeken een ervaren R&D-leider met sterke technische expertise om ons team in Roden te versterken. In deze functie ben je als manager verantwoordelijk voor de productontwikkeling van nieuwe, innovatieve en bestaande producten binnen ons unieke wellness assortiment, zoals badkuipen en douchebakken van Quaryl en acryl, gedurende de gehele productlevenscyclus.

• Je geeft leiding aan de afdelingen R&D Engineering en het Technisch Ondersteuningscentrum, waarbij technische expertise en samenwerking tussen verschillende afdelingen centraal staan.
• Je stuurt het volledige proces van productontwikkeling en industrialisatie voor wellnessproducten aan, van concept tot marktintroductie, en zorgt ervoor dat aan de ontwerp-, kwaliteits-, kosten-, tijds- en wettelijke eisen wordt voldaan.
• Je identificeert markttrends, innovatieve materialen, productietechnologieën en productieprocessen om deze verder te ontwikkelen.
• Je versterkt de wereldwijde engineeringscapaciteiten door de processen, engineeringsmethoden, digitale tools en technische expertise in Nederland en Egypte te harmoniseren.

Wat we verwachten:

• Je hebt een Bachelor- of Master diploma in Industrial Engineering, Werktuigbouwkunde, of Scheikunde
• Je hebt meer dan 10 jaar ervaring in productontwikkeling, bij voorkeur met expertise in polymeer gebaseerde materialen, composieten, mineraalgieten, PMMA/acryl of vergelijkbare geavanceerde materialen en productieprocessen.
• Je hebt ervaring met het leiden van gestructureerde productontwikkelingsprocessen (bijv. stage-gate), van conceptdefinitie tot industrialisatie en marktintroductie.
• Je hebt praktische ervaring met productontwerp, materiaalkeuze, productietechnologieën, testen en kwaliteitscontrole.
• Je hebt het vermogen om marktkansen te herkennen en technische innovaties om te zetten in succesvolle productconcepten.
• Je bent bekwaam in relevante engineeringtools en -systemen (bijv. SAP, PDM, CAD, CAE) met een praktische aanpak van productontwikkeling en het oplossen van technische problemen.
• Je hebt ruime managementervaring, waaronder het leiding geven aan diverse, internationale en technische teams.
• Je werkt graag aan multidisciplinaire projecten waar je analytische vaardigheden en teamwerk van pas komen.
• Een uitstekende beheersing van de Engelse en Nederlandse taal is essentieel. Kennis van het Duits is een pluspunt.
• Je bent bereid om tot 20% van je werktijd internationaal te reizen.

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