Nippon Sanso is one of the leading companies in the industrial and medical gases business in Europe. Serving over 150,000 customers and 350,000 patients across 14 countries,

we offer
a comprehensive range of gas-based solutions tailored to sectors including healthcare, food, electronics, manufacturing, chemicals, electronics, and energy among many others.
TheProject Manager Europe R&Dwill; be based in our headquarters in Madrid, reporting to Chief R&D; and Governement Affairs Officer Europe, and is responsible for leading research and development projects from concept through execution, ensuring that innovation initiatives are delivered on time, within budget, and in line with strategic business objectives. The role connects technical expertise, structured project management, stakeholder alignment, and commercial awareness to accelerate the development of new technologies, products, applications, and process improvements.

Key responsibilities
Lead and manage R&D; projects across the full project lifecycle, from ideation, feasibility assessment, planning, development, testing, validation, and implementation to handover or commercialization.
Define project scope, objectives, deliverables, milestones, resource needs, risks, and success criteria in alignment with business strategy and technical priorities.
Develop and maintain realistic project plans, schedules, budgets, and stage-gate documentation.
Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams including R&D;, engineering, operations, product management, procurement, quality, regulatory, sales, and external partners.
Ensure effective stakeholder communication through structured project updates, decision papers, risk reviews, and executive reporting.
Identify, assess, and mitigate technical, commercial, operational, safety, regulatory, and resource-related project risks.




Drive disciplined decision-making by preparing business cases, technical feasibility assessments, cost estimates, and benefit evaluations.
Monitor project performance against agreed targets, initiate corrective actions where needed, and elevate key issues in a timely manner.
Support innovation portfolio management by providing input on project prioritization, resource allocation, strategic fit, and expected value creation.
Promote best practices in project management, documentation, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement across the R&D; organization.
BackgroundBachelor's or Master's degree in engineering, chemistry, physics, materials science, industrial technology, or a related technical discipline.
Several years of experience in R&D;, technology development, engineering, product development, application development, or technical project execution.
Proven experience managing complex projects with technical uncertainty, cross-functional dependencies, and multiple internal or external stakeholders.
Experience with structured project management methodologies, stage-gate processes, agile/adaptive planning, or innovation portfolio management.
At least 12 years' experience in industrial, manufacturing, energy, environmental, chemical, life science, or technology-driven business environments would be a plus.
Experience working with external partners such as universities, suppliers, customers, research institutes, start-ups,



or industry consortia is beneficial.
Required

Skills:
Strong project management skills, including planning, scheduling, budgeting, resource coordination, risk management, and performance tracking.
Solid technical understanding with the ability to challenge assumptions, understand development risks, and translate complex technical topics into clear business language.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to engage technical experts, senior leaders, commercial teams, and external partners.
Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with a structured approach to decision-making under uncertainty.
Leadership skills to motivate cross-functional teams, build accountability, resolve conflicts, and maintain momentum in complex projects.
Commercial awareness and the ability to connect R&D; outcomes with customer needs, market opportunities, profitability, and strategic value.
High level of ownership, reliability, and attention to detail in project governance, documentation, reporting, and follow-up.
Ability to work in an international and multicultural environment, including remote collaboration across regions and functions.
Fluent written and spoken English; additional languages are an advantage depending on the regional scope of the role.
Others:Regular travel across Europe is required (25%)Why join Nippon Sanso?At Nippon Sanso, we're a reliablepartnerfor key industries, combining general expertise with a local touch to make a real difference. Guided by our commitment to sustainability, we drive innovation through cutting-edge technology and a strong R&D; network. Here, you'll have the autonomy to own your career, with the chance to work on projects that impact communit

📌 Global R&D Project Manager (Madrid)
🏢 Nippon Sanso
📍 Madrid