The Senior R&D Engineering Manager is an experienced engineer with a strong background in industrial automation and intralogistics who will lead the engineering team responsible for developing customer options for existing machines and creating new machines and products. The ideal candidate combines deep technical knowledge with proven leadership experience, guiding the organization’s operational and product strategies while supporting innovation and international growth.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead a team of experienced engineers responsible for developing new products and customer options (modifications of existing machines and projects).
• Build and structure a high‑performing R&D engineering team.
• Propose and define new products that can be added to the company’s portfolio.
• Supervise and coordinate the entire R&D team, being responsible for design, manufacturing support, CE certification, and testing (mechanical, electrical, PLC, and software).
• Identify and develop new suppliers for manufacturing and design processes in order to reduce the cost of new machines and customer options.
• Define and manage development planning, including responsibility for the P&L of each development project.
• Define and implement cost‑reduction initiatives across all developments while maintaining the high quality standards defined by KION.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant standards and KION policies.
• Collaborate closely with the Sales and Realization departments.
• Monitor development performance, including financial results, operational efficiency, and achievement of strategic objectives.
• Provide leadership and direction to engineering teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Education and Skills
• Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering, preferably with a specialization in Industrial Electronics or a related technical field.
• Additional executive or business management education is considered an advantage.
• Minimum of 20 years of experience in machine development and R&D leadership within industrial automation or intralogistics systems (AGV, VNA, AMR, MOUSE or similar).
• Demonstrated experience in the development of new products in intralogistics (AMR, AGV, MOUSE, etc.). A portfolio of these developments is required.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams including engineering, operations, and commercial stakeholders.
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations and collaborating with engineering teams on product development and industrialization.
• Experience contributing to business growth and supporting international projects.
• Experience reporting to senior management or participating in executive‑level decision
making.
• Flexible attitude and willingness to travel occasionally for international projects.
Key Skills and Competencies
• Strategic leadership and vision.
• Strong business and financial understanding.
• Deep knowledge of industrial automation, AGV/AMR technologies, or intralogistics solutions.
• Excellent leadership and team management capabilities.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to drive innovation and operational excellence in a technological environment.
• Results‑oriented mindset with strong analytical and problem‑solving abilities.
Are looking to make your move? Then you’ve come to the right place! We are the KION Group, and the world of supply chain solutions is our home. KION is shaping world trade – globally, regionally, locally. We ensure that supply chains reach their full potential: fast, efficient, smart, sustainable and reliable.
Our 42,000 employees make a real difference, helping us to become who we are today: The Supply Chain Solutions Company. Our people’s passion is innovating, automating, and orchestrating solutions for our customers’ supply chains.
Would you like to be part of our international team? We can offer you interesting jobs and exciting career opportunities in an innovative, rapidly-growing, and forward-looking industry.
With us, you benefit from numerous development opportunities in a global group, including the possibility of working at one of our locations abroad on a temporary basis. Regardless of which of our sites you work at, the KION values—integrity, collaboration, courage, and excellence—shape how we act and how we work with colleagues, managers, customers, suppliers, and applicants both at home and abroad.
KION is the architect of global, regional and local supply chains. Our brands are well established:
Dematic is the global leader in intelligent supply chain and automation solutions. The Linde Material Handling and STILL brands serve the premium and higher value segments of the industrial truck market. Baoli focuses on industrial trucks in the lower value and economy segments.
As a provider of comprehensive supply chain solutions with a worldwide service network, KION has a global presence and a regional focus on the needs of its customers. KION brands keep the world moving.
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