About the role

The company:
A shining star in Aotearoa’s technology sector, building high-end consumer electronics, software ecosystems, and solutions for a widespread global audience. Regionally, their success has been monumental in some areas and fledgling in others. Categories for the application of their IP are much the same, immense success in some and recent emerging growth. These verticals include home consumer, auto, health, and lifestyle for global jurisdictions in the multi-million dollar bracket.

Why now?
This household name brand is set on global expansion, growing the emerging segments through a mix of partnering, channel distribution, and white-labelling their existing and new products. These methods are in various states of readiness, some mature, others right at the birth of their execution. This growth means they are on the lookout for a Head of Motor Design to steer the ship and take ownership of the motor design functional area. 
Building upon their current successes while expanding their offerings, this new leader will be tasked with developing strategic plans, setting design strategies, and empowering the motor design teams to deliver innovative and efficient solutions.

Head of Motor Design Leadership:
The journey of growth and change for this business has been proud and ongoing work. This role will be principal of the motor design and be the lifeblood of commercial advances for the business. It encompasses executive and tactical design roadmap and strategy, managing existing and upcoming motor design projects. The role will require a visionary leader who can build upon current success and cater to future business needs as the company scales.

The role breaks down into five core competencies:

Technology Leadership: Drive the vision, strategy, and innovation for motor design. Provide technical and functional leadership and subject matter expertise. Stay ahead of industry trends and technologies. Lead the development of high complexity motors and drive systems, with a focus on high-volume manufacturing environments. Experience with scaling production, managing large-volume operations, and optimising for cost efficiency while maintaining quality is crucial. Experience in innovative motor design, particularly in areas such as electromagnetic design, mechanical design, and controls is highly beneficial. Understanding energy efficiency, system optimisation, and design trade-offs is essential.

People Management: Lead, engage, and develop local and global teams. Manage team performance and foster a collaborative environment. Handle recruitment and succession planning. Champion company values and behaviours.

Delivery Management: Implement and optimise scalable processes for motor design projects. Allocate resources and manage work distribution. Track and report on strategic and tactical milestones. Oversee the budget and financial health of the Motor Design function. Leverage high-volume manufacturing experience to optimise production and ensure quality consistency.

Technology Governance: Own the motor design roadmap and ensure alignment with business goals. Identify and manage risks associated with motor design and delivery. Lead special projects and collaborate with other departments, including engineering, product, sales, and marketing. Ensure compliance with safety and process standards.

Commercial Management: Combine technical expertise with knowledge of commercial parameters. Influence commercial agreements to meet customer and company outcomes. Monitor financial health and budget adherence of the motor design function. Understand how market changes impact results and adapt strategies accordingly.

The fit:
To excel in this role, you’ll be energised by the chance to shape the future of motor design for a growing company. You’ll be passionate about leading and inspiring your team, driving their development, and instilling a shared sense of purpose in line with the company's vision. With a background in high-complexity motor and drive system development, you'll have successfully implemented scalable delivery and quality systems. You’ll be adept at creating and executing strategic roadmaps and contributing to the broader company strategy.

You will oversee motor design for both existing and emerging projects, incumbent and new categories. You will craft strategic business plans, promoting a culture of open communication, data-driven decision-making, and a continuous pursuit of creativity. Your adept people leadership skills will be pivotal as this role will manage 6-8 direct reports, and 1-3 indirectly, cultivating a workplace that thrives on clarity, communication, and recognition. 

You’ll seamlessly blend expertise in motor design, delivery, and commercial leadership in a dynamic and evolving product development environment.

Experience in designing motors for mass-produced, high-efficiency systems will be highly valued.

For more information please contact Sarah to discuss this opportunity on sarah@potentia.co.nz or apply now.