Head of Product Design
Umbilical Advanced ·
Head of Product Design Location: Southern Germany || Commutable from Munich or surrounding areas €135,000 – €150,000 basic + 10% annual bonus 30 days annual leave + public holidays Relocation package available Full-time, permanent role (40 hours per week) Laptop and mobile provided Excellent pension and healthcare benefits Office-based with up to 2 days WFH Umbilical Search is proud to be partnering with a global technology and engineering business at the forefront of advanced hardware innovation.
The company operates a European R D and advanced engineering centre supporting international markets across high-technology, industrial, and connected systems sectors. This is a key leadership opportunity for an experienced Head of Product Design to drive design excellence, shape product strategy, and build a high-performing design organisation.
You will lead a talented team of Product Designers, engineering specialists, and design professionals responsible for creating innovative products and user experiences that support the company's next phase of growth.
Key Responsibilities
Lead, coach, and develop a multidisciplinary Product Design team (60+ FTEs), fostering a culture of innovation, creativity, and continuous improvement Define and implement the product design vision, strategy, processes, and best practices across the organisation Drive user-centred design methodologies, ensuring customer needs and market insights are embedded throughout the product development lifecycle Collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Commercial teams to deliver exceptional products from concept through to launch Establish and maintain design systems, standards, and governance frameworks to ensure consistency and scalability Champion design thinking and advocate for the value of design at senior leadership level Oversee product design roadmaps, resource planning, and team performance metrics, providing regular updates to executive stakeholders Identify opportunities to improve product usability, customer satisfaction, and commercial performance through effective design leadership Act as a change agent, promoting collaboration, innovation, and customer-focused decision-making across the organisation About You Role: Head of Product Design or leadership experience in hardware, systems design, product management, industrialisation, or operations Sectors: Ideal sector backgrounds include automotive electronics, radar, RF, semiconductors, telecoms, PCB manufacturing, industrial electronics, consumer electronics, antennas, test measurement, satellite communications, high-performance materials or a related field Leadership: Strong people management and coaching skills, with a proven ability to develop high-performing design teams.
Education: Degree in Product Design, Industrial Design, Human-Computer Interaction Design, Engineering, or a related discipline preferred. Languages: Fluent English required; German language skills an advantage. Strong understanding of user-centred design, design thinking, customer research, prototyping, and design systems.
Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, capable of influencing at executive level. Why Apply? This is a rare opportunity to lead and shape the Product Design function within a world-class technology organisation.
You'll influence the future direction of innovative products, establish best-in-class design practices, and play a central role in driving customer experience, product differentiation, and business growth. How to apply: Please click "apply" or contact Ajay Bhella at Umbilical Limited for further information.
Alternatively, please email me an up-to-date copy of your CV to ajay@umbilicaladvanced.com. Umbilical Limited is committed to promoting Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. We act as a neutral third party in the recruitment process, basing our candidate searches on skills and experience.
We do not discriminate based on age, gender, sex, relationship status, disability, race, religion/beliefs, or sexual orientation.