R&D Lead (Advanced Sensing & Embedded Systems)

Kerry Consulting; Singapore; On-site; SGD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Kerry Consulting is recruiting an R&D Lead for a fast-growing robotics and intelligent hardware company in Singapore. You will lead an multi-disciplinary team spanning LiDAR, electronics, embedded software, optics and hardware engineering, translating customer requirements into commercially viable products.

As a senior leader you will shape the R&D strategy, implement structured processes, manage budgets, and partner with product and commercial teams to deliver high impact programs on schedule

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or above required.
• 8+ years of R&D experience with 2+ years in leadership.
• Experience across LiDAR, electronics, embedded software, optics, and hardware.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end R&D programs with accountability for team development and project execution.
• Align customer requirements with technical solutions and roadmaps.
• Develop and scale the R&D organization with structured processes and practices.

Skills

R&D leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Technical program management

LiDAR systems

Electronics

Embedded software

Optics

Hardware engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree or above

Job description

Overview

A fast-growing robotics and intelligent hardware company is looking to appoint a R&D Lead in Singapore. This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for building and leading a multidisciplinary R&D organization spanning LiDAR, electronics, embedded software, optics, and hardware engineering. The Lead will play a central role in translating customer and business requirements into commercially viable products, while establishing the R&D capabilities needed to support the company's next stage of growth.

Responsibilities

You will lead the R&D function end to end, with accountability for team development, operating processes, technical execution, and the successful delivery of product development programs. This includes setting R&D priorities and project plans, monitoring development milestones, and ensuring projects progress from concept and technical design through iteration and delivery with the required quality and timelines.

Working closely with product, business development, and other functional teams, you will align customer requirements with technical solutions and development roadmaps. A key part of the role will be joining client-facing discussions alongside the commercial team, providing technical expertise during business development engagements, understanding customer requirements, and guiding subsequent product and engineering iterations.

You will also develop the R&D organization as the business scales, including performance management, capability building, talent development, and the implementation of structured R&D and project management practices.

Requirements

You should have a Bachelor's degree or above and at least 8 years of relevant R&D experience, together with 2 or more years of engineering or R&D team leadership experience. Strong candidates will bring multidisciplinary product development exposure across areas such as LiDAR, electronics, embedded software engineering, optics, camera systems, power electronics, and/or mechanical and structural engineering.

Experience within automotive, robotics, autonomous systems, intelligent hardware, or other complex technology products will be relevant. You should be comfortable managing structured R&D programs while remaining sufficiently hands-on and technically credible to engage engineering teams and participate in detailed customer discussions. Experience supporting international project delivery would be advantageous.

The role requires strong business and technical communication skills in English, alongside the ability to coordinate across engineering, commercial, and customer stakeholders. You should be comfortable operating in a fast-growing environment where priorities evolve quickly and where strong execution, sound technical judgment, and accountability are important.

License No: 16S8060 / Registration No: R26161178