Director of Product Development

Company Overview

Our purpose is to accelerate the breakthroughs that create a brighter future for our world. Our technology and scientific expertise enable our customers to discover and bring to market exciting new advances that drive human progress. We aim to be the scientific instrumentation partner in every significant lab and production facility across the world.

Oxford Instruments Asylum Research is a manufacturer of nanotechnology instrumentation for industry and research. We design, build and sell Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM) that are used to analyze material topography, elasticity, conductivity and other properties.

We are part of the wider Oxford Instruments Group, which also includes Andor Technology, Nano Science, Plasma Technology and X‑Ray Technology. With a sixty‑year history and fourteen Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, our world‑class products and technologies help our customers address the greatest challenges of the 21st century.

Our ways of working are lived every day and are as follows:

• We start with the customer
• We succeed by being focused
• We make and keep our promises
• We work together as one team
• We help and trust each other to succeed

Base Pay Range: $/yr – $/yr

In accordance with California law, the expected salary for this full‑time, benefited position is between $190,000 – $250,000, plus a management bonus
.

Benefits:

• Generous benefit packages – competitive health insurance options, including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans.
• Our 401(k) program offers options for saving both pre‑ and post‑tax dollars for retirement.
• Paid Time Off (PTO) – Employees start with 4 weeks of PTO, accrued each pay period.
• 12 holidays this year.
• Generous and progressive paid family leave policy.
• Professional Development – $5,250 available in annual tuition reimbursement after 6 months of service.

• Use a hands‑on approach and considerable systems‑engineering experience to lead the product development team in the development, design and implementation of AFM technology.
• Play an integral role in the AFM business leadership team, helping to improve and deliver the long‑term strategy that will grow our AFM business.
• Deliver the new product roadmap for the AFM business, with ownership of the early‑stage development phases.
• Provide strategic and technical leadership, mentor talent, drive team development and succession planning to maintain the levels of expertise needed in the business.
• Manage and sustain engineering projects, providing support for existing products and new products, as needed.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, utilize best practices, select new tools and techniques that will continue to improve product quality and the development process.
• Utilize best documentation practices.
• Oversee and optimise third‑party engineering services/outsourcing.
• Plan, estimate, prioritise and manage agreed project deadlines.
• Ensure compliance with safety, design, quality and corporate processes.
• Manage budgets, timelines, and resource allocation for all projects.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in engineering or a related field.
• 10+ years’ experience leading cross‑functional product development teams.
• 5+ years’ experience as a systems engineer.
• Proven experience leading high‑performing product development teams.
• Experience working within a project management matrix structure.
• Proven experience in the design and development of hardware, firmware, and software solutions.
• Experience with modern project management and reporting tools such as Microsoft TFS or other bug or issue tracking systems.
• Experience reporting on the status of projects, people, and processes.
• Experience developing microscopy or similar product type applications.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills with the ability to handle numerous details.
• Strong problem‑solving, decision‑making, and creative thinking abilities.
• Demonstrable confidence, excellent interpersonal and communication skills to lead technical teams.
• Proven ability to work well within a board‑level team to deliver the goals of the overall business.
• Ability to motivate and challenge others.

Director

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