Head of Strategic Engineering & Advanced Projects

Position Name: Head of Strategic Engineering & Advanced Projects
Dependency: General Manager / Corporate Engineering Leadership
Personnel in charge: Engineering Department

Position Objective:
The Head of Engineering & Strategic Projects is responsible for leading the engineering organization while owning the definition and governance of advanced, high-value, non-standard projects.
This role ensures technical excellence, protects engineering as a strategic asset, and drives the development of future solutions by owning technical complexity upstream, before execution and commercialization.
The position plays a key role in positioning the company from an equipment supplier to a true engineering partner.

Job Responsibilities and Tasks:

Engineering Leadership

• Lead and develop the engineering organization, including Technical Leaders, Engineering Coordinator, and design teams.
• Ensure timely resolution of manufacturing non-conformities to keep production running.
• Review and approve designs prior to release to manufacturing.
• Act as the senior technical reference for the engineering team.
• Drive competence development and long-term capability building.

Strategic Projects & Business Development (Engineering-led)

• Own and govern technical complexity across all high-value, non-standard projects.
• Define solution architecture, technical boundaries, and design-to-cost targets.
  
• Identify repeatable solutions and transform one-off projects into scalable offerings.
• Lead upstream technical engagement with customers and OEMs at engineering / CTO level.
• Define solution roadmaps based on future market needs and technological trends.
• Support selective market development through engineering-led positioning (not traditional sales).

Project Governance

• Oversee strategic and special projects, ensuring technical and executional alignment.
  
• Work closely with the Project Manager to ensure milestones, risks, and deliverables are controlled.
  
• Approve technical deviations and major design changes.
  
• Ensure lessons learned are captured and institutionalized.

Processes, Systems & Governance

• Define and implement engineering policies, standards, and ways of working.
• Lead PLM implementation and ensure its effective usage across the organization.
  
• Drive structured engineering processes to improve quality, efficiency, and scalability.
  
• Actively support post-M&A integration with corporate engineering leadership.

Required Skills, Abilities, and/or Professional Qualifications:

Technical & Professional Background

• Degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or related Engineering.
• 10+ years of experience in engineering, special machinery, or complex industrial systems.
• Proven experience leading engineering teams in project-based environments.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing, cost structures, and industrial processes.
• Experience working with PLM systems and structured engineering processes.

Strategic & Market Capabilities

• Ability to translate market needs into technical solutions and roadmaps.
• Experience in engineering-led business development or upstream technical sales.
• Strong capability to evaluate trade-offs between cost, risk, time, and scalability.
• Long-term, systems-level thinking (2–5-year horizon).

Soft Skills & Leadership

• Strong leadership presence and decision-making capability.
• Ability to operate in ambiguity and evolving organizational contexts.
• High credibility with senior stakeholders, internally and externally.
• Excellent communication skills in English (mandatory).
• Comfortable working in a post-M&A environment with changing priorities and new corporate governance.