Job Description

Head of Engineering - Electronics, Hardware & Mechanical
Location: Rochester (on-site leadership role)
100,000+ package | Senior leadership appointment
Contact Emily - Karabelo Powell - Associate Director - Pearson Whiffin Recruitment for a confidential conversation
This is not a project delivery role.
It is not a "super-engineer" role.
And it is not about being the smartest technical voice in the room.
This role exists for a senior engineering leader who cares deeply about how engineering is done, how engineers grow, and how large, complex functions evolve through periods of change.
The opportunity
You will take ownership of a substantial, multi-disciplinary engineering function within a rapidly growing organisation delivering complex, safety-critical electronic systems. The engineering population is already large and expanding quickly, bringing with it generational change, new career paths, new tooling, and the need for clear, confident functional leadership.
Your remit is the engineering craft:

• people
• capability
• standards
• processes
• culture
• long-term functional health

You will lead through a team of experienced engineering managers and senior functional leaders, shaping how engineering operates today and how it must evolve for the future.
What you'll actually be responsible for

• Leading and developing a large hardware and mechanical engineering function through a manager-of-managers model
• Defining what good engineering looks like and ensuring it is consistently applied
• Building robust people strategies: capability, succession, retention and career pathways
• Owning and evolving functional processes, governance, tools and ways of working
• Managing functional budgets linked to development, tooling and improvement initiatives
• Supporting large-scale organisational growth while maintaining engineering quality
• Playing an active role on a senior engineering leadership team, contributing beyond your own function
• Stepping in operationally when required - but keeping the role fundamentally strategic

The kind of leader this suits
You are likely already operating at senior functional or departmental level and are comfortable leading through other leaders, not directly through teams.
You will bring:

• Proven experience leading large engineering populations (ideally 50+ overall, with multiple managers reporting into you)
• A background rooted in electronic systems, hardware and/or mechanical engineering
• Strong, independent views on engineering standards and culture - you can influence without needing consensus
• Confidence working in environments that are growing, regulated and technically demanding
• The credibility to engage senior stakeholders, challenge constructively and make difficult priority calls
• An engineering or STEM degree (Chartered status is advantageous but not essential)

Experience in safety-critical or highly regulated sectors is valuable, but exceptional leadership behaviours outweigh niche technical alignment.
Working pattern & environment
This is a visible, on-site leadership role, with an expectation of presence in Rochester for the majority of the working week. Flexibility exists, but this is not a remote appointment.
Package & progression
A highly competitive senior leadership package is on offer, including:

• Six-figure base salary (advertised as 100k+ for flexibility)
• Car allowance
• Annual bonus
• Strong pension and benefits package
• Relocation or commuter support where appropriate

Security & eligibility
Due to the nature of the work, security clearance and export control restrictions apply.
As a minimum, candidates must be able to achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard clearance, with higher levels of national security vetting required for many appointments. This typically includes long-term UK residency requirements.
Why this role is different
This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of a major engineering function at a time of real transformation. You will influence how hundreds of engineers work, grow and succeed - not through micromanagement, but through clarity, structure and leadership.
If you are motivated by legacy, capability building and engineering excellence at scale, this role will resonate.

Skills Required