Product Design, R&D & Program Management Recruiters
Manufacturing Headhunters recruits manufacturing professionals nationwide.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
No postings. No stacks of resumes. No chasing. You interview a short list.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
Need someone now? Call 305-306-4829.
Product design, R&D and program management reaches from the boardroom to the lab bench. The VP of engineering, chief technology officer, director of R&D and R&D manager set direction. Mechanical engineers, mechanical design engineers, product design, product development and product engineers, electrical design engineers, firmware and embedded engineers, systems engineers and CAD designers or drafters build the product. Food scientists, product development scientists and formulation chemists work in the lab. Program managers and product engineering managers keep launches moving. Titles blur here more than anywhere else, so we read the work behind them. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Manufacturing only
- We reach people who aren't on job boards
- Replacement guarantee on standard searches
What should you know about positions we recruit in Product Design, R&D & Program Management?
VP of EngineeringCheck Product roadmap and stage-gate. Director of R&DCheck Pipeline of launched products. Mechanical Design EngineerCheck CAD (parametric mechanical CAD, product design CAD, mechanical design CAD, integrated CAD/CAM). Product Development EngineerCheck Concept to production launches. g. electronic design software).
- VP of EngineeringCheck Product roadmap and stage-gate.
- Director of R&DCheck Pipeline of launched products.
- Mechanical Design EngineerCheck CAD (parametric mechanical CAD, product design CAD, mechanical design CAD, integrated CAD/CAM).
- Product Development EngineerCheck Concept to production launches.
- Electrical Design EngineerCheck Schematic and PCB design (e.g. electronic design software).
- Food ScientistCheck Bench to plant scale-up.
- Formulation ChemistCheck Coatings, adhesives or personal care formulation.
- Program ManagerCheck APQP gates.
- Chief Technology Officer (CTO)Owns technical direction connecting product architecture with the business plan.
- R&D ManagerOwns development scientists or engineers and their project priorities.
- R&D EngineerOwns technical experiments and product concepts before production release.
- Mechanical EngineerOwns mechanical calculations and equipment or product engineering decisions.
- Product Design EngineerOwns product geometry and interfaces that can actually be manufactured.
- Product EngineerOwns released product performance and engineering changes through its life.
- Firmware / Embedded EngineerOwns device firmware connecting electronics to the product's physical behavior.
- Systems EngineerOwns requirements and interfaces across the product's technical disciplines.
- CAD Designer / DrafterOwns production-ready models and drawings under engineering direction.
- Product Development ScientistOwns formulation or material experiments that lead to a manufactured product.
- Engineering Manager (Product)Owns product engineers and release decisions for a defined product group.
- Senior Mechanical Design EngineerOwns difficult mechanical design decisions with manufacturing and verification consequences.
- Lead Product Development EngineerOwns technical direction through the product development and release process.
Combined product design, r&d & program management titles share a page where the work is the same; each link opens the relevant hiring brief.
What should you know about matching the responsibility, not only the title?
A VP of engineering owns the product roadmap, a stage-gate process, team size and certifications delivered, such as UL and CE. We distinguish engineer-to-order from product engineering. A director of R&D runs the pipeline of launched products, the lab and pilot plant, and intellectual property.
Engineering and R&D leadership
A VP of engineering owns the product roadmap, a stage-gate process, team size and certifications delivered, such as UL and CE. We distinguish engineer-to-order from product engineering. A director of R&D runs the pipeline of launched products, the lab and pilot plant, and intellectual property.
Mechanical and product engineers
Mechanical design engineers work in parametric mechanical CAD, product design CAD, mechanical design CAD or integrated CAD/CAM, apply GD&T to ASME Y14.5 and use FEA tools such as engineering simulation software. Product development engineers take concepts to production, run testing and validation and deliver cost-down. We check which parts of that chain the person actually owned.
Electrical, firmware and systems engineers
Electrical design engineers draw schematics and boards in tools such as electronic design software, and design for UL and IEC compliance and power electronics. Firmware and embedded engineers live close to hardware. Systems engineers tie subsystems together. We look for work that shipped, not prototypes that stayed on a bench.
Food scientists and formulation chemists
A food scientist moves a formula from bench to plant scale with shelf life and ingredient functionality in mind. A formulation chemist works in coatings, adhesives or personal care, with scale-up and SDS and GHS knowledge. Both need to have seen their formula survive a real production line.
Program management
A program manager runs APQP gates, manages an OEM customer's expectations and often holds a PMP. We separate program managers who coordinated status meetings from those who held budget and schedule against a customer who pushed back, especially in automotive and aerospace supply.
Ready to start? Tell us the seat.
Where we find this experience?
Design and R&D talent comes from peer OEMs and from consumer and industrial product companies with launches on their record. Mechanical engineering graduates and the engineering society community feed junior roles. Engineering directors at peer manufacturers are the first call for senior leadership searches.
Electronics manufacturers and design groups at contract manufacturers supply electrical design engineers. Food and ingredient suppliers, university food science programs and the food technology community supply scientists. Chemical and consumer product laboratories supply formulators. Tier 1 automotive and aerospace suppliers are the home of strong program managers.
Design talent is often protected by projects in flight. An engineer in the middle of a launch will not leave, but the same person after a project handover might. We keep a running list of strong designers and formulators by product type and revisit it when the timing opens up, which is why we sometimes start conversations long before a seat exists.
How this manufacturing search runs?
We ask what the next product has to do, and what happened to the last one. A leader who inherits a broken stage-gate needs different skills from one who inherits a healthy roadmap. We write the technical profile with your engineers, so the screen is specific from the first call.
Candidates describe a product they shipped, the tradeoffs made and the part they would redo. We ask for the portfolio of work the candidate is allowed to discuss. Where intellectual property or non-compete obligations are an issue, we raise it with the candidate and you early, before the offer.
We also test the fit between the individual and your development style. Some engineers thrive in a rigorous stage-gate and others in a small team that changes direction weekly. We ask candidates directly which they prefer, what they have shipped under each, and how they handle the moment a customer or a test result forces a redesign.
Ready to start? Tell us the seat.
What should you know about questions about Product Design, R&D & Program Management searches?
How is your fee set for R&D searches?
As a percentage of first-year base salary, agreed in writing, with no upfront fee.
What if we do not hire anyone?
Then you pay nothing. Fees apply only to a hire we presented.
Is the search confidential given our product plans?
Yes: We describe the role generally and keep product details out of outreach until candidates are qualified.
Do you reach designers who are not applying?
Yes: Most good designers are employed on active projects, so we approach them directly.
Do these roles require relocation?
Some do, particularly lab-based ones. We discuss location and any remote flexibility with candidates before interviews.
Can a mechanical engineer fill a product development role?
Often, if they have launched products and not only drawn parts. We probe how much of the lifecycle they owned.
What replacement guarantee applies?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What should you know about start your Product Design, R&D & Program Management search?
Ready to start? Tell us the seat.
What should you know about related role families?
- Executive & General Management
- Plant & Production Management
- Manufacturing, Process & Industrial Engineering
- Automation, Controls & Electrical
- Quality, Food Safety & Regulatory
- Maintenance, Reliability & Facilities
- EHS & Sustainability
- Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence
- Supply Chain, Procurement & Planning
- Logistics, Distribution & Warehouse
- Technical Sales, Applications & Field Service
- Manufacturing Finance & Accounting
- Machining & Toolroom
- Welding, Fabrication & Metal Finishing
- Industrial Maintenance & Plant Technicians
- Production Operators, Setup & Line Leads
- Assembly, Electronics & Composites
- Process Operators & Process Technicians
- Quality Inspection, Metrology & Lab Technicians
- Packaging Line & Sanitation Technicians
- Warehouse, Materials & Shipping
What should you know about hiring guidance for this work?
What should you know about open jobs?
Ready to start? Tell us the seat.
The Six-Step Search
What do you get before interviewing?
1. Search CalibrationYou get a hiring brief that separates the work, reporting authority and non-negotiable requirements. We agree what would make a candidate worth an interview before contacting anyone. 2. Market MappingYou get a defined search pool, not a reposted vacancy.
1. Search Calibration
You get a hiring brief that separates the work, reporting authority and non-negotiable requirements. We agree what would make a candidate worth an interview before contacting anyone.
2. Market Mapping
You get a defined search pool, not a reposted vacancy. We identify the kinds of plants and teams where people already handle comparable equipment, processes and operating demands.
3. Professional Contact Intelligence
You get a way to reach working people directly. We check professional contact routes and approach candidates discreetly, without making your plant or vacancy public unless you approve.
4. Persistent Personalized Outreach
You get individual conversations about the actual opening. We explain the work, shift and location, ask whether a move makes sense, and follow up without pretending every person is interested.
5. Live Candidate Qualification
You get evidence of fit before spending interview time. We talk through decisions, equipment, results and reasons for moving, then distinguish direct experience from skills that would need support.
6. Candidate Intelligence and Process Support
You get a focused short list with the information behind it. We explain motivation, practical constraints and concerns, support interviews, and keep offer decisions with your hiring team.
What should we discuss first?
Product design, R&D and program management reaches from the boardroom to the lab bench. The VP of engineering, chief technology officer, director of R&D and R&D manager set direction. Mechanical engineers, mechanical design engineers, product design, product development and product engineers, electrical design engineers, firmware and embedded engineers, systems engineers and CAD designers or drafters build the product.
What should we settle first about Product Design, R&D & Program Management?
Product design, R&D and program management reaches from the boardroom to the lab bench. The VP of engineering, chief technology officer, director of R&D and R&D manager set direction. Mechanical engineers, mechanical design engineers, product design, product development and product engineers, electrical design engineers, firmware and embedded engineers, systems engineers and CAD designers or drafters build the product. Food scientists, product development scientists and formulation chemists work in the lab. Program managers and product engineering managers keep launches moving. Titles blur here more than anywhere else, so we read the work behind them.
Ready to start? Tell us the seat.
What should you know before sending product design, r&d & program management?
When do you pay a recruiting fee?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The signed recruiting agreement sets the fee basis and payment terms. Sending an opening does not itself commit you to a fee or an exclusive arrangement.
How long does it take to see a short list?
We discuss the search conditions before describing a realistic next step. Shift, location, equipment match and the candidate's reasons for moving all matter. We do not promise a shortlist date before understanding the opening.
How do you handle counteroffers?
We ask what is driving the move before introducing a candidate. We discuss what might change if the current employer offers more money or a different job. Your team still decides whether that person's motivation fits the opening.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not bill hourly for a standard permanent search, repost a job-board ad as a search, or supply high-volume general labor. Retainers are not the default. Any different arrangement must be agreed in writing.
Read the contingency fee terms · Review Product Design, R&D & Program Management
What did the last empty seat cost you?
How long did your last search take? How much did the empty seat cost while you waited?
Put your own cover costs and lost production into the Cost-of-Vacancy calculator. It uses your numbers, not a claim about what another plant loses.