Job Description

Head of Innovation

Reports to

: CEO

Location

: Bristol - Office Based

Salary

: 40,000-50,000 (depending on experience)

Overview

At

Sustainable Kitchens

, craftsmanship meets innovation.

For over 15 years, we've been redefining what a kitchen can be --

built for life, not for landfill

. As we enter an exciting new phase of growth, we're looking for a Head of Innovation to join our management team and lead the creation of our next-generation products, materials and processes. Driving creativity, precision and sustainability across design and engineering.

About the Role

The

Head Innovation

is a hands-on, cross-functional leader who blends technical excellence with curiosity and creativity to shape the future of our products. You'll ensure today's projects are

delivered on time, in full and to budget

, while

driving forward the innovation that will define tomorrow

- from new materials and manufacturing techniques to evolved cabinet systems and product lifecycle solutions.

From concept to launch, you'll guide the full development journey - inspiring bold ideas while embedding rigor, repeatability, and right-first-time delivery across the team.

Key Responsibilities

Innovation & Product Development

Drive design innovation, prototyping and testing of new products, materials and processes. Manage our Prototyping Lab, validating new ideas and technologies before launch. Turn prototypes into scalable, production-ready solutions that drive efficiency. Develop new supplier partnerships to expand, strengthen and future-proof our supply chain. Lead the product lifecycle from concept to retirement, delivering company goals and financial targets. Work closely with other members of the management team to develop and maintain a clear innovation pipeline with aligned priorities and timelines.

Engineering Excellence

Manage and prioritise the Engineering team's day-to-day work, ensuring all projects are delivered on time, in full and to budget. Champion right-first-time engineering, reducing errors and risks across the production pipeline. Optimise workflows and systems to boost efficiency, eliminate waste and improve consistency. Oversee design reviews for manufacturability, quality and profitability. Manage and maintain Solidworks systems, design libraries and templates. Mentor and develop the engineering team's skills and capabilities. Work with other departments to manage and enhance the costing model, ensuring product profitability and clear visibility of the overall product cost base. Collaborate with Production to refine CAD, CAM and CNC processes for precision and speed. Manage key supplier relationships, ensuring best value, reliability and quality of supply. Support Marketing and Sales teams with technical documentation and expertise.

Leadership & Collaboration

Play an active role in the Management Team, shaping strategy and driving operational excellence. Coordinate across teams to embed innovation and continuous improvement. Build strong partnerships with external innovators and suppliers. Promote knowledge sharing through workshops, showcases and documentation. Develop and empower the Engineering team, ensuring consistency and high performance. Report on Performance and innovation progress to the team, management and Board.

Skills & Experience

Essential

Expert knowledge and Industrial use of Solidworks and PDM Experience using cabinetry manufacturing software ex. SWOOD Design, CAM and Nesting Experience in cabinetry manufacturing technologies, techniques and tolerances. Experience in Supply Chain Management, sourcing, negotiation and communication. Highly numerate, with the ability to calculate, analyse, interpret and present data to inform technical and business decisions. ex. Microsoft Excel Proven success of delivering new products to market and product portfolio management. Knowledge of product lifecycle and leading an NPI process. Strong leadership skills managing and inspiring an engineering team or department. Experience building and leading a small R&D or technical team. Interest in future technologies and AI and how they can impact future manufacturing.

Desirable

Use of Project Management platforms for forecasting and capacity planning ex. Airtable / MS Project. Proven knowledge and reporting of costing models, ROI, margin analysis and performance reporting. CAD / CAM / CNC - Operation of CNC (or equivalent) machinery or programming CAM tooling paths. Familiarity with circular economy metrics, product lifecycle and end or product life programs.

What We Offer

The opportunity to shape the future of sustainable design and manufacturing. A creative, purpose-driven environment where ideas and precision matter equally. Private medical insurance Cycle to work & tech-buying schemes Flexible schedule & on-site parking 22 days holiday + Bank Holidays 3% employer pension contribution

Join Us

If you're a hands-on innovator who loves SolidWorks as much as fresh ideas, and you're driven by the challenge of building a better, circular future -- we'd love to meet you.

Bring your curiosity, your craftsmanship and your engineering mindset -- and let's make something extraordinary.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 40,000.00-50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Casual dress Company pension Cycle to work scheme On-site parking Private medical insurance
Application question(s):

How many years Solidworks experience do you have?
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)
Location:

Bristol BS15 (preferred)
Work Location: In person