Job Description

New Product Development Manager

Location: Marlborough, Wiltshire

Salary: £35,000 – £40,000 (DOE)

Hours: Full-time, Monday to Friday, 08:00 – 17:00

Permanent, on-site

Benefits: Company pension, on-site parking, 28 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays), casual dress.

CMD Recruitment is proud to be working in partnership with our client, a well-established and innovative manufacturer based in Marlborough, Wiltshire, to recruit an experienced and driven New Product Development (NPD) Manager.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a talented design or product development professional with a strong engineering background and proven leadership skills. You will play a key role in shaping the company’s next generation of high-performance products, taking concepts from idea through to market launch.

About the Role

Reporting to the Director of Operations, the NPD Manager will lead and manage the full product development lifecycle, including design, prototyping, testing, and production readiness. You will oversee a small but growing team, ensuring a hands-on and quality-focused approach to innovation. You’ll also be responsible for the recruitment, retention, and development of team members.

This is a strategic and highly visible position, where your expertise will directly influence the company’s future product offering and market success.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end new product development processes from concept through to production.
• Design precision-engineered components and assemblies using SolidWorks (including surfacing and scanning capabilities).
• Produce technical documentation including BOMs, SOPs, and manufacturing drawings.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Sales, Operations, and Production to ensure designs meet customer and manufacturing requirements.
• Manage and mentor a team of two design engineers, with a focus on development and recruitment.
• Drive continuous improvement in design processes, tooling, and manufacturability.
• Attend industry exhibitions and client meetings as required (some travel and overnight stays involved).
• Regularly report progress to the senior leadership team.

Key Internal Relationships

• Director of Operations
• Managing Director
• Sales Director
• Production Supervisors
• Sales and Procurement Teams

About You

Essential:

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in product or mechanical design.
• Proficient in SolidWorks, including surfacing and design from scan data.
• Strong understanding of a range of manufacturing processes (plastics, composites, metals).
• Proven track record of managing the full product development cycle.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across departments.
• A hands-on, proactive, and solution-oriented approach.

Desirable:

• Experience using SolidWorks Visualize or similar rendering tools.
• Background in performance engineering, automotive, or motorsport sectors.
• Experience in supplier liaison and tooling development.
• Previous experience in scaling and growing a technical team.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic, forward-thinking business with a strong reputation for innovation and quality. You will be given the autonomy to shape the product roadmap and make a lasting impact within a supportive and growth-focused environment.

Ideal candidates might come from high-performance design backgrounds and will welcome applications from all industries with relevant skills and experience.

Successful candidates will be contacted within 7 working days of their applications, should you not hear from us within this time, please assume that your application was unsuccessful.

If you are interested in this opportunity and would like to discuss further, please do not hesitate to contact Dan Pyle at CMD Recruitment on 01380 738300 and email your CV to dan_pyle@cmdrecruitment.com

Please include a cover letter highlighting your relevant experience and why you would be a valuable addition to the team.