Technical & Product Manager

Vacancy No 5627

Vacancy Title

Technical & Product Manager | Fire & Acoustic-Rated Doorsets

Location South of England

Run the technical engine of a market-leading fire-door manufacturer, and build a team that never depends on one person.

Our client is a leading UK manufacturer of bespoke fire- and acoustic-rated timber doorsets and other timber products. With revenue of over £40m and a plan for continued double-digit growth in revenue and profit, it is at an exciting stage of its evolution, and it sees its people as the heart of its success.

Reporting to the Technical & Product Director, you'll turn technical strategy into day-to-day reality. You'll run the governance system, deliver the product-level work of the BS-to-EN transition and lead a team of ten through real change, with them rather than to them.

AT A GLANCE

* Reports to: Technical & Product Director

* Team: 10, across technicians, the drawing team and field service engineers

* Location: On site, South of England

YOUR MISSION

Run the technical governance system day to day, so that every product, document and technical decision is accurate, controlled, traceable and audit-ready at all times. Working to the strategy and standards set by the Technical & Product Director, you'll build and operate the core processes, which are document control, change control and internal audit. You'll give Commercial, Production and customers fast, reliable technical support, and build the team's product and certification knowledge into systems and people, not any one individual.

WHAT YOU'LL RUN

* Document control: implement and run it across all technical documentation, including specifications, drawings, guidance and technical files, so everything is current, controlled and traceable.

* Change control: operate product and process change control, assessing every change against evidence, certification and manufacturability.

* Audit-ready, always: run the internal technical audit programme across all active products, keep technical files and certification evidence audit-ready, and coordinate certification audits and test programmes.

* BS-to-EN transition: deliver the product-level workstreams to the programme plan.

* Technical enquiries: run the enquiry service for Commercial, Production and customers, including gateway and regulator-driven requests, to agreed response times, applying approved evidence to every decision.

* Supplier assurance: own supplier technical compliance, component compatibility and evidence requirements.

* Technical risk: maintain the technical risk register, and escalate risks and incidents with root-cause analysis.

* Regulation: monitor regulatory developments and brief the Technical & Product Director.

WHAT YOU'LL LEAD

* Your team: lead ten people day to day across delivery, product engineering, testing and certification. Set clear objectives, balance workload, hold regular one-to-ones, agree development plans and recognise good work.

* Change, done well: introduce new systems and processes with the team, not to it. Involve people in designing document control, change control and audit, and pace change so the team can absorb it.

* Knowledge that lasts: capture product and certification know-how in controlled documents and training, crediting and involving the people who hold it. Cross-train so that critical knowledge is held by more than one person.

* Keeping your people: know what each person needs in order to stay, and act early on any risk of losing them.

HOW THE ROLE FITS WITH THE DIRECTOR

The Technical & Product Director sets strategy and standards, holds final technical authority and owns external relationships. You run, maintain and improve the governance system day to day. You decide within approved evidence and delegated limits, and recommend or escalate everything else.

* Document control and audit: the Director sets the standard; you implement and run the system and the audit cycle.

* Change control: the Director approves significant changes; you run the process and approve minor ones.

* Certification and testing: the Director owns the programme, budget and certification-body relationships; you maintain technical files and coordinate tests and audits.

* BS-to-EN and evidence: the Director leads the programme and designs the evidence system; you deliver the product-level workstreams and run the enquiry service.

* Risk: the Director reports technical risk to the leadership team and board; you maintain the register and escalate.

* Suppliers: the Director sets the requirements; you own supplier compliance and component evidence.

* Regulation: the Director interprets regulation and represents the business externally; you monitor developments and brief.

* Team: the Director sets the structure; you line-manage, develop and keep the team, and agree retention and succession plans together.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

Strong experience in technical governance, product stewardship or technical leadership in a production environment.

A background in fire doors or other regulated construction products, with working knowledge of fire door testing and certification, technical files and certification-body requirements.

Hands-on experience of implementing and running document control or a quality management system, such as ISO 9001.

A good understanding of product liability, compliance risk, change control and technical documentation.

Experience of managing multi-disciplinary technical teams, and of coaching and developing people, including people new to formal systems and processes.

A track record of leading an existing team through significant change in systems and processes, while keeping the team intact.

A degree or equivalent experience in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering or a related discipline.

Desirable: supplier technical assurance or component validation experience.

WHO YOU ARE

Structured, methodical and evidence-based about technical risk, with high attention to detail.

A strong leader and organiser who influences across functions and communicates clearly and confidently.

A patient, practical coach who explains the why behind new processes.

Someone who values expertise built through experience, and brings people along rather than imposing process.

Someone who builds knowledge into systems and people, and never becomes the bottleneck.

Aligned with the client's values: get it right and traceable, keep customers confident, make it work in practice, and build lasting capability.

HOW SUCCESS IS MEASURED

Document control is live, every technical document is controlled, and evidence for any active product can be retrieved within one working day.

The internal audit cycle is running, findings are closed within 30 days, and certification audits are passed cleanly.

BS-to-EN product workstreams are delivered to the programme plan.

Technical enquiry response times meet the agreed targets.

Every product and process change goes through change control and is fully traceable.

The technical risk register is reviewed monthly, and issues are escalated on time with root cause identified.

Supplier and component evidence is complete and current.

The team has clear priorities and a balanced workload, everyone has regular one-to-ones and a development plan, and engagement improves against the baseline.

There are no regretted losses, and critical product and certification knowledge is documented and held by at least two people.

WHY THIS ROLE STANDS OUT

Ownership

Real responsibility for product stewardship, technical governance and team capability.

Autonomy

Set priorities, strengthen systems and shape how the function operates, with the backing of the Technical & Product Director.

Impact

Influence decisions across the business, protect product integrity and support sustainable growth.

Growth

A visible leadership role in a growing business, broadening your leadership and technical expertise as the portfolio evolves.

THE PACKAGE

Competitive basic salary

Health cash plan, including an employee assistance programme

Pension and life cover

25 days' holiday

EV car scheme

Based on site in the South of England

A CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION

This search is being handled in strict confidence by SRS Recruitment Solutions. The client will be named once a confidentiality agreement is in place. If you'd like to explore the role, or know someone who should, contact Tony Morris on (phone number removed) ext. 103. Every conversation is completely discreet.

Our client is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.

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