Head of R&D

Posted: 3 May 2026

Our ref: WTJ-5424

Description

Role Type: Permanent – Full time (Part time considered)

Hours: 37.5 per week (Part time considered)

Location/Contract set up: Programme, All Saints’ Street, Bristol, BS1 2NB – 100% Onsite, Hybrid and WFH not considered.

Salary band range (dependent on experience): £75,000 to £95,000 per annum DOE

Reports to: CEO (Group)

The Company:

We are Open Bionics, a growing startup based in Bristol who designs, develops and manufactures beautiful bionic limbs for those with upper limb absences. Our flagship product is the Hero Arm and with this myo-electric arm, we turn disabilities into superpowers!

We have collaborated with some of the biggest brands in the world, such as Star Wars, Marvel, Twentieth Century Fox and Konami, and we have won multiple awards, including Hanger Clinics Innovation Award. Please visit our website to find out more about us: www.openbionics.com.

Our Mission & Values:

“Create and Democratize Technology that Enhances the Human Body”.

Innovate – Look at the problem differently.

Empower – Enable people to act with confidence

Be Ambitious – Think bigger.

Treat People Equally – Treat everyone with equal respect.

Be Reliable – Always deliver. On time. On budget. To specification.

Role Specification:
We are looking for a visionary and execution-focused Head of R&D to define and lead the future of product development at Open Bionics. This is a pivotal role at the heart of the business, responsible for turning bold ideas into world-class bionic products that directly improve people’s lives.

You will own the end-to-end R&D function, leading a multidisciplinary engineering team and driving the development of innovative, user-centred products from early concept through to launch and beyond. You will be responsible for building and delivering a scalable product roadmap, aligning technical development with company strategy, and ensuring excellence across design, quality, regulatory and delivery.

This role requires a combination of strategic thinking and hands-on leadership. You will need to navigate complexity, make confident decisions in ambiguous environments, and maintain a high-performing team capable of delivering at pace as the company grows.

Our Culture:
You will thrive at Open Bionics if:

You love a fast pace: You are ambitious, comfortable taking risks, and want to work in an environment that moves quickly.

You value transparency: You appreciate open communication about company performance, finances, and future plans.

You are a collaborative expert: You know your stuff, but you love working across teams and respect the domain expertise of your colleagues.

You want to make an impact, not coast: You bring 100% of your energy to the table. We aren’t a relaxed or overly corporate environment; we are driven by results.

You value your downtime: We work hard, but we don’t do long hours. We respect your personal time and expect you to unplug completely when your contracted hours are up.

Responsibilities:

Lead the technical direction of Open Bionics product development, in alignment with the

company vision, objectives and values.

Headline responsibilities:

People Management

Project Management

Process Management

Risk Management

Grant Funding

Patent Portfolio

Detailed responsibilities:

Provide technical leadership and maintain in depth knowledge of all Open Bionics products during (and after) the development cycle.

Line managing, developing and supporting all members of the R&D team.

Run and continuously improve R&D processes, including the New Product Introduction(NPI) process and change request process.

Ensure the R&D team adheres to all company policies and processes including NPI, Health & Safety and Quality Management Processes.

Establish and maintain R&D lab best practices and equipment care

Track company R&D performance through regular reporting of KPIs.

Strategic thinking and planning to identify potential roadblocks and put in place preventative and corrective actions.

Identify and apply for grants to fund new product development.

Leadership of risk management including risks around compliance, regulatory, quality, safety and timelines/projects.

Maintain a long-term (5 years) plan of Open Bionics product development pipeline, and plan accordingly.

Champion a co-design methodology where the user’s experience and needs sit at the heart of research and development.

Perform quarterly reviews of the R&D department to review and plan the departments activities in alignment with product development pipeline, company objectives, values and vision.

Responsible for ensuring clear product specifications & attributes are defined and delivered through quality gateways.

Responsible for setting project timeline, managing the product critical path and leading gateway review meetings.

Responsible for product cost management including tooling, piece cost, labour and ensuring targets are kept and regularly reported.

Support Quality team to ensure appropriate ISO standards are met throughout the NPI process.

Take responsibility for Open Bionics Intellectual Property portfolio, and grow the value of the business via effective IP management, including patents, trademarks, know-how and trade-secrets.

Ensure Open Bionics R&D projects run to time and budget, and communicate quickly and effectively if project parameters or scope change.

Keep track of R&D budget and expenses.

Person Scorecard

Essential
Broad engineering expertise across multiple disciplines, including mechanical, product, electronics and software development, with the ability to operate credibly at both strategic and technical levels.

Proven leadership experience managing and developing multidisciplinary engineering teams, with a track record of delivering complex products through full lifecycle (concept to commercialisation).

Strong decision-making capability, able to make timely, well-reasoned decisions within defined authority, often in ambiguous or high-pressure situations.

Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Highly analytical and data-driven, using structured problem-solving approaches to inform decisions and drive performance.

Resilient and composed under pressure, with a demonstrated ability to respond effectively to changing priorities and unforeseen challenges.

Confident in making difficult decisions, balancing technical, commercial and organisational considerations, even where there are competing viewpoints.

Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to build alignment, manage conflict and foster collaboration across teams and disciplines.

High levels of emotional intelligence and self-awareness, with the ability to understand, manage and respond effectively to both personal and team dynamics.

Experience delivering projects against time, cost and quality objectives, with a strong understanding of planning, prioritisation and execution in a fast-paced environment.

Passion for engineering and innovation, with a genuine drive to develop impactful products that improve users’ lives.

Desirable
Degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s) in Mechanical, Electrical, Product Design, or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience within a regulated environment (e.g. medical devices, ISO standards, or similar).

Experience implementing or improving R&D processes, such as New Product Introduction (NPI), change control, or product lifecycle management.

Exposure to intellectual property (IP) development, including patents and design protection.

Experience scaling engineering teams or functions within a startup or high-growth environment.

Benefits
32 days annual leave (including bank holidays)

Additional day of leave : moving house/ getting married

Company Pension Scheme

Cycle 2 work Scheme

50% subsidised Gym/Sports membership/exercise classes (upto £30)

Up to 50% cost covered for professional accreditations

Free Fruit/ Tea & Coffee in office

Culture of Team socials

Other Information
Open Bionics is an Equal Opportunities employer. If you are disabled and require any reasonable adjustments, please contact shaun@openbionics.com.

We welcome enquiries from everyone and we value diversity in our workplace. We may operate positive action measures to encourage people from under-represented groups to apply and help them overcome disadvantages in competing with other applicants.

If you are successful, you will be expected to provide proof of your right to work in the UK.

How to apply

To Apply
1) Visit our website https://openbionics.com/ and click ‘Careers’ where you can apply.

2) Write a Covering Letter explaining why you are suitable for the role. You must address the person’s scorecard criteria and detail why you want to work for Open Bionics.

3) Upload your CV which evidences the technical aspects of your knowledge, skills and experience.

Please note that both of the above must be provided in order to be considered for the post. Interviews are likely to take place virtually.

Visit the website