Technical Manager

Country: UK Travel: 30% of the time Location: Dependent on applicant Contract Type: Full Time Role: Technical Manager (UK & Europe)Annual Base Salary Rate: 29,441 - 43,903   Kidde is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of fire safety products. Each day, we work to expand upon our legacy of innovation, providing advanced solutions to protect people and property from fire and related hazards. By building upon our combined experience and expertise, we provide residential and commercial customers with advanced solutions and services to protect people and property in a wide range of applications, all around the globe.   About the role We are seeking a commercially aware senior technical leader capable of acting as the technical face of the business across the UK and Europe. The successful candidate will combine technical expertise, product development insight, regulatory understanding, competitor intelligence, and strong training capability. This role supports commercial growth while influencing product development and technical direction for a global smoke alarm manufacturer.   As a Technical Manager (UK & Europe) your Key Responsibilities would include but not limited to;   Technical Leadership & Market Expertise Act as the senior technical authority for the UK and European markets. Support Sales and work with the Product management team with technical expertise to drive growth. Represent the organisation across key customers, distributors, retailers, and industry engagement (FIA, COGDEM etc) Provide technical support for major tenders and strategic projects.   Internal & External Training Develop and deliver technical training programmes for sales teams, distributors, installers, and retailers. Create and maintain technical training materials and certification programmes, to include CPD. Deliver technical workshops and presentations at customer and industry events.   Continuous Product Development Support continuous product improvement through customer feedback and technical reviews. Influence the product roadmap by translating market needs into recommendations. Support new product introductions and lifecycle management.   Competitor & Market Intelligence Monitor competitor products, certifications, technologies, and market trends. Provide competitor benchmarking and market insight reports.   Product Performance & Returns Review product returns, warranty claims, and technical complaints. Lead root cause analysis with engineering and quality teams. Recommend improvements to product reliability and customer satisfaction.   Regulatory, Standards & Compliance Maintain relationships with UK and European governing and certification bodies. Monitor regulatory changes affecting smoke alarms and life safety products. Represent the organisation in industry associations and standards groups.   Leadership & Performance Mentor internal teams and drive technical excellence. Deliver agreed KPIs across training, product development, technical support, and quality.   Performance Management / KPIs Training effectiveness and competency improvements. Contribution to product roadmap and innovation. Reduction in recurring technical issues and product returns. Compliance with UK and European standards. Quality of competitor and market intelligence. Technical support contribution to commercial wins.   Must-Have Requirements Proven experience within the fire safety, life safety, electrical products, or regulated manufacturing sectors Manufacturer background preferred over distribution/consultancy only. Experience delivering internal and external technical training. Product development, roadmap influence, and lifecycle management experience. Experience with product returns, warranty analysis, and corrective actions. Knowledge of UK and European standards and governing bodies. Strong commercial awareness and sales support capability   Nice-to-Have Requirements Direct smoke alarm or life safety product experience. Global manufacturing experience. Participation in technical committees or trade bodies. Exposure to IoT or smart home technology. Training qualification or instructional experience. European multi-country market experience.   Qualifications & Capability Degree-qualified in Engineering, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Fire Safety, Product Design, or similar technical discipline. Strong influencing, communication, analytical, and stakeholder management capability. Interview Success Indicators Examples of product improvements they influenced. Experience resolving product failures or returns issues.  Evidence of roadmap influence and prioritisation. Direct interaction with governing bodies and standards. Strong training delivery examples. Competitor analysis converted into business action. What we offer  We offer excellent development opportunities, a competitive salary and exceptional benefits including the following: Be part of a globally respected brand under Kidde Global Solutions. Competitive salary package, incentives, and career development opportunities. Flexible working arrangements Laptop and smartphone Career progression opportunities   Your journey with us We always aim to provide a fair and valuable recruitment process for everyone. If selected, you will follow the next stages: Initial call with our sourcing/recruitment team Interview with the Hiring Manager and key stakeholders    Our commitment to you As an employer of choice, our greatest assets are the expertise, creativity, and passion of our employees. We strive to provide a great place to work that attracts, develops, and retains the best talent, promotes employee engagement, fosters teamwork, and drives innovation for the benefit of our customers. We aim to create an environment where you feel that you belong, with diversity and inclusion as the engine to growth and innovation. We develop and deploy best-in-class programs and practices, providing enriching career opportunities, listening to employee feedback, and always challenging ourselves to do better. The values that guide us are respect, integrity, inclusion, innovation, and excellence. We’re excited for you to join us and make a difference.