Product Development Manager

Wolverhampton (Office-based) £50,000 – £65,000 + benefits About the Role We are working with an established, innovation-driven engineering business looking to appoint a Product Development Lead to head up its product development function. This is a hands-on leadership role, ideal for someone who enjoys both building products and leading a small, capable team. You will take ownership of the product pipeline, from concept through to launch, while shaping the future product strategy and driving continuous improvement across an evolving range. Key Responsibilities • Own the product development roadmap and lifecycle, from concept to market launch • Lead all active development projects end-to-end • Drive continuous product improvement (design iterations, tolerances, modular systems, etc.) • Manage and support a small team of engineers and product specialists • Oversee supplier engineering and component cost optimisation • Lead involvement in patent development in partnership with external advisors • Act as a senior technical representative in key external discussions What We’re Looking For • Proven experience delivering complex mechanical or precision-engineered products end-to-end • Strong hands-on engineering capability (CAD review, materials, tolerances, troubleshooting prototypes) • Background in sectors such as precision engineering, safety critical hardware, automotive, hydraulics or medical devices • Experience managing or mentoring a small technical team • Exposure to regulated products or certification processes • Familiarity with patents (named inventor or working with patent attorneys is advantageous) • Strategic thinker with the ability to own and evolve a product range • Highly organised, decisive, and data-driven Why Apply? • Opportunity to shape the next generation of products in a specialist engineering environment • Balance of hands-on technical work and leadership responsibility • A visible role with real impact on product direction and business success • Collaborative, technically strong team environment