Head of R&D

Peterborough
10 months ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Executive Director, Head of Clinical Science and Medical Writing

Senior Director, Head of Global Case Management

Director, Medical Writing Resourcing Group Lead

Director, Regional Head Site Mgmt & Oversight, Europe - (Remote)

Senior Manager US Advertising & Promotion Lead

Plant Science Research Associate / Scientist

A leading manufacturer of private label and branded cosmetic and personal care products based in the Peterborough area are currently hiring for a Head of R&D.
Leading the innovation efforts and driving product development, the successful applicant will take charge of a highly skilled and well established team.
Key responsibilities:

  • Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute the R&D strategy aligned with the company’s vision, mission, and business goals. Identify and prioritise research projects and product development initiatives. Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive landscape, using insights to guide strategic decisions and maintain a competitive edge.
  • Project Management: Design and lead research and development programmes and projects – ensuring that work is delivered to time and quality expectations, within budget, and with appropriate measures of its impact.
  • Innovation and Product Development: Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g. Sales, Production) to translate research findings into marketable products. Manage the development of prototypes, pilot projects, and full-scale products. Oversee continuous improvement initiatives for existing products, leveraging feedback from customers and market analysis.
  • Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing R&D team. Recruit and retain top talent to ensure the team’s capabilities match the company’s needs.
  • Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a liaison between R&D and other departments, ensuring alignment of goals and communication.
  • Regulatory and compliance Management: Ensure all R&D activities comply with relevant industry standards, regulations, and safety protocols.
    Skill, experience and qualifications:
  • Minimum of 8 years of experience in R&D, with 3 years in a leadership role.
  • Bachelors or Masters Degree level in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology or similar discipline.
  • SCS Diploma is desirable.
  • Experience in the cosmetic or personal care industry is essential
  • Strong understanding of industry-specific knowledge/technologies.
  • Excellent communication, and interpersonal skills.
    Applicants must hold the right to live and work in the UK on a permanent basis

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

How to Write a Biotechnology Job Ad That Attracts the Right People

Biotechnology is one of the UK’s most diverse and fast-moving sectors. From biopharma and diagnostics to industrial biotech, medtech and life sciences research, employers are competing for highly specialised talent with scarce, in-demand skills. Yet many biotechnology employers struggle with the same problem: job adverts that attract the wrong candidates. Roles are often flooded with unsuitable applications, while highly qualified scientists, engineers and regulatory professionals either do not apply or disengage early in the process. In most cases, the issue is not the talent pool — it is the job advert itself. Biotechnology professionals are trained to think critically, assess evidence and understand context. If a job ad is vague, inflated or poorly targeted, it signals a lack of clarity and credibility — and strong candidates simply move on. This guide explains how to write a biotechnology job ad that attracts the right people, improves applicant quality and positions your organisation as a serious, trustworthy employer in the life sciences sector.

Maths for Biotech Jobs: The Only Topics You Actually Need (& How to Learn Them)

Biotechnology is packed with data. Whether you are applying for roles in drug discovery, clinical research, bioprocessing, diagnostics, genomics or regulated manufacturing, you will meet numbers every day: assay readouts, QC trends, dose response curves, sequencing counts, clinical endpoints, stability profiles, validation reports & risk assessments. If you are a UK job seeker moving into biotech from another sector or you are a student in biology, biochemistry, biomedical science, pharmacy, chemistry, engineering or computer science, it is normal to worry you “do not have the maths”. What biotech roles do need is confidence with a small set of practical topics that show up again & again. This guide focuses on the only maths most biotech job adverts quietly assume: • Biostatistics basics for experiments, evidence & decision making • Probability for variability, uncertainty & risk • Linear algebra essentials for omics, PCA & modelling workflows • Calculus basics for kinetics, rates & dose response intuition • Simple optimisation for curve fitting, process set points & model tuning

Neurodiversity in Biotech Careers: Turning Different Thinking into a Superpower

Biotechnology is all about solving complex problems that affect real lives – from new medicines & vaccines to sustainable materials, diagnostics & gene therapies. To tackle those challenges, the sector needs people who think differently. That is exactly where neurodivergent talent comes in. If you have ADHD, autism, dyslexia or another form of neurodivergence, you might have been told that your brain is “too much”, “too distracted” or “too literal” for a lab or scientific career. In reality, many of the traits that come with ADHD, autism & dyslexia are perfectly suited to biotech work – from spotting subtle patterns in experimental data to creative thinking around new solutions. This guide is written for biotechnology job seekers in the UK. We will explore: What neurodiversity means in a biotech context How ADHD, autism & dyslexia strengths map onto specific biotech roles Practical workplace adjustments you can ask for under UK law How to talk about your neurodivergence in applications & interviews By the end, you will have a clearer idea of where you might thrive in biotech – & how to set up your working environment so your differences become genuine superpowers.