R&D Manager - Ariete

In this role you lead the end-to-end R&D process to invent and improve small home appliances, aligning product vision with quality, cost, and schedules. You’ll work with cross-functional teams to identify needs, guide design and development, and coordinate with suppliers to scale concepts to market. You’ll manage prototyping, testing, regulatory compliance, and IP protection, driving continuous improvement. This position offers impact across product strategy, supplier collaboration, and innovation in a hands-on leadership capacity. You will shape high-velocity product development in a technically demanding domain.

• Wellbeing initiatives (engagement survey, welfare program, health insurance)
• Work-life balance (flexible work hours, smart working)
• Learning & Development opportunities (hard and soft skills training, performance appraisal, internal job posting, international career paths)
• Partnerships and shopping programs (special price for company products, external partnerships & discounts, smart lockers)
• Meal tickets
• Collaborate with Marketing and Design to identify consumer needs, trends, and competitors; stay current with tech and materials in small appliances.
• Lead idea generation sessions with cross-functional teams for new products or enhancements.
• Oversee end-to-end product development from concept to commercialization; coordinate with engineers, designers, and suppliers to meet quality, cost, and timelines.
• Supervise prototyping and testing to validate functionality, performance, and user experience; iterate based on feedback.
• Ensure regulatory compliance by working with the Standards & Approval team on safety, performance, and environmental standards.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Purchasing, Sales, and Production to align development with market demand and production capabilities.
• Manage R&D budgets and allocate resources to maximize ROI.
• Identify opportunities to patent inventions or design elements to protect IP.
• Implement continuous improvement across product design, development methodologies, and innovation practices.
• Communicate progress and challenges to senior management and stakeholders with regular updates.
• Coordinate and manage suppliers in China to support development and production.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Experience designing mechanical components and systems
• Experience dealing with suppliers in China
• Proficiency with 3D design tools (Siemens NX)
• In-depth knowledge of plastic materials
• Understanding of mechanical processing technologies including injection molding and die casting
• Familiarity with rapid prototyping technologies
• Knowledge of mass production product development
• Experience with laboratory equipment and test result evaluation
• Knowledge of simulation tools (MOLDFLOW, FEM Analysis) is preferred
• Willingness to travel
• Strong awareness of cyber security and information protection principles
• creative and innovative problem solver
• flexible and adaptable
• plastic materials knowledge