Head of Research

Are you passionate about Mechanical Engineering and innovation? Are you ready to take on a strategic leadership role within our R&D Department? Do you thrive in an international, fast-paced, and continuously evolving environment? Then this opportunity as R&D Manager might be the perfect next step in your career ABOUT TENNANT Tennant Company is a globally recognized leader in the cleaning equipment industry. For the past 150 years, we have been passionate about developing and manufacturing innovative and sustainable solutions for our customers. At Tennant Company, we are committed to stewardship and creating a cleaner, safer and healthier world. With manufacturing, operations and sales, service, and support functions across the globe, your journey at Tennant can take you to places you never expected. A results-driven R&D Manager responsible for leading and coordinating product development activities for the Floorcare division across the EMEA region. The role combines strong technical leadership with cross-functional collaboration to deliver innovative, high-quality products aligned with global strategies and regional needs. The position oversees a team of engineers, ensuring effective execution across design, testing, documentation, and project delivery. It plays a key role in managing New Product Development (NPD) and lifecycle engineering initiatives, balancing innovation, cost efficiency, quality, and time-to-market. Acting as a central link between R&D and key business functions—including Product Management, Operations, and Supply Chain—the R&D Manager supports the execution of the product roadmap and contributes to continuous improvement of engineering processes and tools. The role requires strong organizational and resource management capabilities, ensuring optimal allocation of engineering efforts and successful delivery of projects of varying complexity, while also maintaining relationships with external partners and ensuring compliance with engineering standards. Lead and coordinate product development activities for the Floorcare division in the EMEA region, supporting innovation and execution across a defined product portfolio. Provide leadership to a team of engineers, with responsibility for design, testing, engineering documentation, and project execution within the assigned scope. Contribute to the development and implementation of product strategies, ensuring alignment with global product line direction and regional business needs. Acting as a key cross-functional partner, the role collaborates with Product Management, Operations, Supply Chain, and other functions to support product development and lifecycle activities. Support the delivery of product development projects of varying complexity, ensuring quality, cost, and timing objectives are met. Build a solid understanding of the business and collaborate with Product Management and Marketing to support the execution of the product roadmap. Drive the development and implementation of engineering processes and tools to enhance innovation, product quality, cost efficiency, and time to market. Plan and manage engineering activities related to New Product Development (NPD) and Lifecycle Management, ensuring alignment with project timelines and deliverables. Coordinate allocation of engineering resources within the team, ensuring effective workload management and project prioritization. Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders (Product Management, Supply Chain, Operations, Sales, Service, Finance, PMO) to support project execution and resolve technical challenges. Support relationships with external development partners, suppliers, and engineering service providers. Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives within the R&D organization. REQUIRED EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; Master’s degree is a plus. Typically 8–12 years of experience in product development and engineering environments. Experience in complex, multi-disciplinary product development (e.g., mechanical, electrical systems, fluid systems, embedded electronics or software). Proven experience in team leadership, with the ability to guide and develop engineers and technical professionals. Solid experience in technical project management across different project sizes and levels of complexity. Experience working in international or matrix organizations is preferred. Proficiency in Italian and English. Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to motivate and develop others. Good communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional and international environments. Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic, evolving business context. Strong interpersonal skills and a customer-oriented mindset. Professional integrity and ability to handle confide