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Design Manager – Manufacturing / Product InnovationPermanent | Competitive salary + benefits Tonbridge Contact: Emily or Sammy – Pearson Whiffin Recruitment Do you thrive in fast-paced, hands-on environments where ideas move quickly, and your decisions make a visible impact? Are you the kind of Design Leader who brings energy, pushes boundaries, and loves solving real engineering problems—not just managing paperwork? If you’re nodding, this could be your perfect next step The Opportunity: A well-established UK manufacturer is investing heavily in innovation and looking for a dynamic, engaging, sleeves-rolled-up Design Manager to lead their in-house CAD and R&D function. This isn’t a huge corporate machine where everything takes six months and requires four committees. This is a business where: Engineers actually get to engineer New ideas get heard quickly You can influence design strategy, production thinking, and product performance You’ll be visible, valued, and genuinely shaping the next generation of products You’ll head up a small, talented team and take ownership of all product design activity—from concept to production release. What you’ll do Lead, motivate and develop a growing design & R&D team Drive concept development, detail design and NPI activity Champion innovation and continuous improvement in materials, mechanisms and manufacturing methods Collaborate with production, operations and sales to make sure ideas translate into reality Challenge existing processes, remove bottlenecks and introduce better ways of working Oversee CAD best practice, technical accuracy, testing and compliance Influence product strategy, cost improvements and future roadmap decisions <