Senior Project Manager - Research and Innovation (R&I)

VDB Executive Search, LLC; Eindhoven; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

AFA is seeking a Senior Project Manager – Research & Innovation to facilitate and coordinate complex product innovation projects. Based in Eindhoven, NL, you will report to the Director R&I and drive alignment across R&I, Engineering, Design, Operations and commercial teams to move ideas from ideation through development and scale-up.

The role emphasizes facilitating execution over direct people management, with a strong focus on collaboration, structured project governance, and timely decisions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering, product development, innovation management or related discipline.
• 8+ years of relevant professional experience managing complex, multidisciplinary projects.
• Proven track record in product development, innovation, new product development or related environment.
• Experience in personal care, packaging, consumer products or another product-oriented industry is preferred.
• Experience working in an international organization with multiple disciplines and stakeholders.
• Strong project management capabilities including planning, prioritization, risk management, budgeting, dependency management and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate and coordinate multidisciplinary product innovation projects from ideation to scale-up.
• Establish objectives, milestones, deliverables and timelines aligned with the Director R&I.
• Create structure and transparency across projects identifying actions, decisions, dependencies and risks.
• Act as a facilitator across R&I, Engineering, Design, Operations and commercial stakeholders to ensure collaboration.
• Drive project execution and maintain momentum, resolving obstacles and escalating as needed.
• Manage project scope, timelines, budgets, resources, risks and dependencies.
• Coordinate project meetings, workshops, and follow-up actions to keep stakeholders aligned.
• Coordinate IP-related activities within assigned projects with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure prepared handover to Operations when projects transition to the next phase.

Skills

Project management

Planning

Risk management

Budgeting

Dependency management

Reporting

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering/related

Job description

Our client AFA is looking for a Senior Project Manager – Research & Innovation (R&I) to facilitate and coordinate complex, multidisciplinary product innovation projects. Based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands and reporting to the Director R&I, this is a senior role for an experienced project professional who can bring structure, alignment and momentum to projects involving multiple disciplines and stakeholders.

AFA is an international company specializing in innovative systems and devices. Research & Innovation (R&I) plays an important role in developing new products that respond to evolving customer and market needs.

The Senior Project Manager will work across R&I, Engineering, Design, Operations and commercial stakeholders, ensuring that projects progress effectively from ideation through development, validation and scale-up. The role is focused on facilitating successful project execution rather than directly managing functional teams.

The ideal candidate combines strong project management skills with a practical, collaborative mindset. You are comfortable working in an environment where projects are complex, priorities can evolve and successful outcomes depend on bringing different disciplines together.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate and coordinate multidisciplinary product innovation projects from ideation through development, validation and scale-up within the R&I organization.
• Establish clear project objectives, milestones, deliverables, responsibilities and timelines in alignment with the Director R&I and relevant stakeholders.
• Create structure and transparency across projects, ensuring that actions, decisions, dependencies and risks are clearly identified and followed up.
• Act as a facilitator across R&I, Engineering, Design, Operations and commercial stakeholders, ensuring effective collaboration and alignment throughout the project.
• Drive project execution and maintain momentum, proactively identifying issues, resolving obstacles and escalating matter when required.
• Manage project scope, timelines, budgets, resources, risks and dependencies.
• Coordinate project meetings, workshops, decision-making processes and follow-up actions, ensuring that stakeholders remain aligned.
• Challenge assumptions and facilitate fact-based decisions when projects encounter technical, commercial or organizational challenges.
• Keep projects focused on developing products that are viable, feasible and desirable, with a clear connection to customer and business needs.
• Coordinate external stakeholders such as suppliers, development partners and other relevant parties when required.
• Support the evaluation and prioritization of project opportunities by providing clear project information, status updates and recommendations to the Director R&I.
• Provide clear and timely project reporting, highlighting progress, risks, dependencies, issues and decisions required.
• Coordinate IP-related activities within assigned projects in collaboration with the relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Ensure that validated R&I projects are sufficiently prepared for the transition to the next phase and provide a clear handover to the Operations organization.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of AFA’s project management and innovation processes and ways of working.

Profile

You are an experienced project manager who enjoys bringing people, information and activities together to achieve a common outcome. You are structured and organized, but also pragmatic and comfortable operating in an environment where not everything is defined upfront. You have the communication skills to work effectively with technical specialists, product developers, designers, business stakeholders and senior management.

You bring:

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, product development, innovation management or related discipline.
• 8+ years of relevant professional experience, including significant experience managing complex, multidisciplinary projects.
• A proven track record in product development, innovation, new product development or a related environment.
• Experience in personal care, packaging, consumer products or another relevant product-oriented industry is preferred.
• Experience working in an international organization with multiple disciplines and stakeholders.
• Strong project management capabilities, including planning, prioritization, risk management, budgeting, dependency management and reporting.
• A strong ability to facilitate collaboration and create alignment without having direct managerial responsibility for the people involved.
• A pragmatic, hands‑on approach and the ability to move projects forward and turn ambiguity into clear actions.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, with attention to detail without losing sight of the overall project objectives.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to interact confidently at different organizational levels.
• A customer- and business-oriented mindset, with an understanding of what makes a new product viable, feasible and desirable.
• The ability to identify issues early, challenge constructively and drive decisions and follow-up.
• A high degree of ownership, initiative and accountability.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to AFA locations, suppliers, development partners and/or customers.