Product Design and Innovation Lead

Job Description

Full Time - Fixed Term Contract 30 months - Adam Equipment Ltd, MK10 0BD/High Wycombe Salary - £30,000-£35,000 Buckinghamshire New University is an ambitious, modern university that is always open to fresh ideas and thinking. We believe in the transformative power of education, and in doing the right thing by our students, people and local community. That’s why our BNU community is a special place to work and study, and where people who want to make a difference can contribute and succeed. Our University’s DRIVE values are at the heart of all that we do. We are united in being dynamic, responsible, inclusive, visionary and empowering to ensure that we provide the best experience to our learners and offer excellent service to our partners and to each other as colleagues. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and they are central to our mission. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries and we are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that you require. This position is to lead a KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) project, in collaboration with Adam Equipment Ltd. The postholder will be employed by Buckinghamshire New University and will work at the Adam Equipment Ltd offices in Milton Keynes. Adam Equipment Ltd are an ambitious and leading manufacturer in technical scales and balances. This is a unique opportunity to work across a whole organisation and apply academic research within an industry setting. This fixed term contract for 30 months will be to implement a new innovation and design strategy and product range for Adam Equipment Ltd which will lead to the launch of a brand new range of Smart Scales. The postholder will be a dynamic self-starter and will work at Adam Equipment Ltd within the Design and Product management team and will receive weekly supervision from a multi-skilled academic team at Buckinghamshire New University. This role is part of the KTP scheme which is partly funded by Innovate UK. It’s important for all applicants to understand the scheme and where this role sits within both the university and the business. What This Role Offers In-house training & development support opportunities plus generous £2,000 personal development allowance per year Contributory pension scheme A range of staff discounts with major retailers. 23 days of annual leave per annum (plus bank holidays) If you have the qualities and attributes representative of the University’s values and ambition, we would be delighted to hear from you. Closing Date: Sunday 2nd March 2025 Interview Date: w/c 17th March 2025 If you are successful in securing an interview for the role, you will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK. BNU is a Disability Confident employer and as such you will be given the opportunity to declare a disability as part of the application process. The University is also committed to achieving the Race Equality Charter. Job Description Job Title: Product Design and Innovation Lead (Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate)Faculty/Directorate: Art, Design and Performance and Creative and Digital IndustriesGrade: FLocation: Adam Equipment (MK10 0BD) with occasional travel to High Wycombe Campus (HP11 2jZ)Hours: 40Responsible To Head of School: Art, Design and PerformanceJob Purpose Through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), you will be working in partnership with Adam Equipment and BNU School of Art, Design and Performance, and School of Creative and Digital Industries. This is a chance to utilise your academic knowledge and experience in an industrial setting by leading a high profile and strategically important project to a successful conclusion. The KTP will develop a framework for product design, manufacturing and renewal at Adam Equipment, which will include the setting up of processes and strategies for prototype development and renewal of Adam scale and measurement equipment through research and design practice. Main Duties & Responsibilities Of The Role Manage and deliver the project activities as agreed in the Knowledge Transfer Partnership project with Adam Equipment Co-ordinate the research and development activities for the project Develop design concepts appropriate for the brand and market Set up and test prototypes Organise data retrieval and storage within an agreed and safe information governance framework Analyse the data using appropriate software and data analysis techniques Apply basic programming and AI knowledge to support product automation, data integration, and system analytics Document research and project development Contribute to research reports and research articles Write reports, undertake specification literature reviews and prepare instructions for market use Present information as required on research progress and outcomes to project team Apply understanding of the commercial context, design requirements and technical challenges Plan experimental activities and evaluate outcomes in relation to project criteria Characterise materials and structural components, gaining approvals for recommendations from the project team Finalise new product design, approval, and implementation Conduct product life cycle analysis Undertake Design Review in compliance with relevant UK and international standards Work to implement selected design changes in manufacturing Work with Adam Equipment on the new product launch Actively participate as a member of a KTP project team Attend and contribute to relevant meetings Deal with problems which may affect the achievement of project objectives and deadlines Plan own day-to-day activity within the framework of the agreed project Comply with relevant legislative and other requirements in all working practices Such other duties temporarily or on a continuing basis, as may reasonably be required by the project PERSON SPECIFICATION A = Application T = Test I = Interview Education, Qualifications & Training A Master’s Degree in Product Design / Industrial Design / Product EngineeringAKnowledge & Experience Experience in using business process design tools (e.g. BPMS) in the context of manufacturing and industrial settingsA/IExperience of user-centric design practicesA/IExperience and understanding of sustainable design practicesA/IProven track record of producing reports and research publications.A/IEvidence of managing the delivery of a product design brief from concept development to manufacture.A/IExperience of CAD led product design to both traditional and digital manufacture.A/IEvidence of producing highly accurate technical work and high-quality documentationA/IExperience of and/or familiarity with GUI for measurement devices, networking (preferably IoT and IIoT) solutions and data analytics, and integration of these into productsA/IExperience of project management for research and innovation projectsA/IBasic understanding of programming languages and AI for automation and data processingA/ISkills Ability to be self-motivated, self-directed and ambitious to carry out the project activitiesIExcellent organisation skillsIAbility to work as part of a teamIAbility to work on own initiativeIExcellent written and verbal communication skillsA/IAbility to work under pressure and to deadlinesIHighly developed administrative abilitiesA/ISpecial Requirements A willingness and ability to work at offsite locations and occasional travel in UK and internationallyA/IBBF (Top 3 key behavioural categories most applicable to the role) Level 3 Indicators Challenges inappropriate behaviours that breach our values Maintains high personal ethical standards in approach and decision making Acts as a role model to colleagues and to stakeholders #J-18808-Ljbffr