Head of Strategic Engineering & Advanced Projects

Dependency: General Manager / Corporate Engineering Leadership
Personnel in charge: Engineering Department

Position Objective

The Head of Engineering & Strategic Projects is responsible for leading the engineering organization while owning the definition and governance of advanced, high-value, non-standard projects. This role ensures technical excellence, protects engineering as a strategic asset, and drives the development of future solutions by owning technical complexity upstream, before execution and commercialization. The position plays a key role in positioning the company from an equipment supplier to a true engineering partner.

Job Responsibilities and Tasks

Engineering Leadership

- Lead and develop the engineering organization, including Technical Leaders, Engineering Coordinator, and design teams.
- Ensure timely resolution of manufacturing non-conformities to keep production running.
- Review and approve designs prior to release to manufacturing.
- Act as the senior technical reference for the engineering team.
- Drive competence development and long-term capability building.

Strategic Projects & Business Development (Engineering-led)

- Own and govern technical complexity across all high-value, non-standard projects.
- Define solution architecture, technical boundaries, and design-to-cost targets.
- Identify repeatable solutions and transform one-off projects into scalable offerings.
- Lead upstream technical engagement with customers and OEMs at engineering / CTO level.
- Define solution roadmaps based on future market needs and technological trends.
- Support selective market development through engineering-led positioning (not traditional sales).

Project Governance

- Oversee strategic and special projects,



ensuring technical and executional alignment.
- Work closely with the Project Manager to ensure milestones, risks, and deliverables are controlled.
- Approve technical deviations and major design changes.
- Ensure lessons learned are captured and institutionalized.

Processes, Systems & Governance

- Define and implement engineering policies, standards, and ways of working.
- Lead PLM implementation and ensure its effective usage across the organization.
- Drive structured engineering processes to improve quality, efficiency, and scalability.
- Actively support post-M&A; integration with corporate engineering leadership.

Required Skills, Abilities, and/or Professional Qualifications

Technical & Professional Background

- Degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or related Engineering.
- 10+ years of experience in engineering, special machinery, or complex industrial systems.
- Proven experience leading engineering teams in project-based environments.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing, cost structures, and industrial processes.
- Experience working with PLM systems and structured engineering processes.

Strategic & Market Capabilities

- Ability to translate market needs into technical solutions and roadmaps.
- Experience in engineering-led business development or upstream technical sales.
- Strong capability to evaluate trade-offs between cost, risk, time, and scalability.
- Long-term, systems-level thinking (2–5-year horizon).

Soft Skills & Leadership

- Strong leadership presence and decision-making capability.
- Ability to operate in ambiguity and evolving organizational contexts.
- High credibility with senior stakeholders, internally and externally.
- Excellent communication skills in English (mandatory).
- Comfortable working in a post-M&A; environment with changing priorities and new corporate governance.

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📌 Head of Strategic Engineering & Advanced Projects - Sabadell, Cataluña, Spain
🏢 Talent
📍 Sabadell