Technical Director

The organisation

Our client Spanninga is a leading international manufacturer in the field of bicycle lighting. The financially sound family business was founded in 1918, thus boasting a long history, and has evolved into a global player and one of the market leaders in bicycle lighting thanks to its highly innovative character.

Spanninga's headquarters are still located in Joure, where about 25 employees work and where the central R&D department is also located. In addition to the headquarters in Joure, Spanninga has two production/assembly locations in France (27 employees) and China (130 employees). Approximately 50% of what is produced in China is also marketed there.

Spanninga operates in three market segments: OEM (standard products), OEM (custom made), and the after-market. Major globally operating bicycle manufacturers such as Accell, Pon, Trek, Bianchi, Giant, Decathlon, and Cannondale have been among Spanninga's loyal customer base for years. Technology, design, sustainability, and safety are the values anchored in Spanninga's DNA. These values drive innovation in a highly dynamic and rapidly growing market with an increasing demand for alternative forms of mobility that are becoming increasingly important.

The position

The role As Technical Director, you are responsible for initiating, translating, and executing all product development projects and keeping the deployed technologies up to date. This also includes establishing technology and product roadmaps (in collaboration with marketing and sales). The process of "New Product Introduction" (NPI) to consistently meet current and future expected market demand, both qualitatively and quantitatively, is an important focus area.

You are part of the Global Management Team, leading the entire technical organization of Spanninga, consisting of Product Designers, Product Engineers, Electrical Engineers, and Optical Engineers, totaling around 20 professionals, with a large part based in China. Your base is in Joure, but you visit the (production) locations in China and France if desired. The Global Management Team further consists of a Sales Director, Marketing Director, Finance Director, and Managing Director, to whom you report.

Candidate profile

• completed HBO/WO education in a technical field such as industrial product design, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering;
• extensive experience in a production and development environment where the boundaries between state-of-the-art technology, manufacturability, and cost price are continuously explored;
• preferably knowledge of various production and development techniques for metal and plastic processing as well as electronics;
• experience with SolidWorks is a plus;
• strategic insight: ability to translate a technology roadmap into a strategic plan through to execution;
• extensive experience in project management and change management;
  extensive experience in coaching and developing employees;
• from your participation in the Global Management Team, you have an active role in determining Spanninga's future course;
• experience in an internationally active (multi-site) organization;
  familiarity with intellectual property is a plus; 
• you have an eye for the different cultures within a company and can collaborate excellently with your colleagues; 
• you are enthusiastic, inspiring, and a driving force;
  other competencies: strong communication skills, cooperative, people- and customer-oriented, practical, resourceful, structured, and goal-oriented; 
• good command of Dutch and English; 
• ability to build and maintain a network of various partners.

Interested?

You are invited to apply for this position by following the link below. For more information or to apply, please contact Maurice Oomens at +31 (0)6 23 90 74 46.