Senior Research Manager - Motors

Role Overview

The Senior Motors Research Manager , Motors Research will maintain and extend Dyson’s leadership in motor technology by leveraging China’s ecosystem—materials, parts, processes, and manufacturing technologies/equipment—to deliver step-changes in cost, time-to-deliver and performance. The role blends on-the-ground discovery, rigorous qualification, and partner stewardship from early exploration through to execution, ensuring promising opportunities are converted into funded, governed workstreams. This role will also aim to establish a repeatable approach to competitor motor and power system technology intelligence and collaborates closely with electronics (hardware), motor control (software) and battery pack teams to surface high impact power system opportunities.

The role reports directly to the Director of Motors & Power Systems Research.

This is NOT a commodity sourcing role — the mandate is technology leadership and value creation through strategic partnerships and execution, not transactional buying.

 Key Responsibilities

• China ecosystem discovery & partnerships: Systematically identify, qualify and prioritise suppliers/partners across materials, components, processes and equipment; build long term relationships that convert into measurable cost, time, and performance gains.

• Opportunity pipeline & execution: Translate discoveries into scoped workstreams; define milestones, risks and success criteria; push through trials to adoption with clear entry/exit aims.

• Competitor intelligence (motors & power systems): Establish a repeatable approach to capture competitor architectures, partners and publicly available performance metrics; design consistent benchmarking and establish regular communication of insights. Conduct competitor insight using lawful, ethical, and appropriately authorised methods, respecting data classification and confidentiality.

• Electronics collaboration: With electronics discovery and delivery teams, identify and assess motor drive opportunities that shift system level finances and performance whilst maintaining IP superiority in motor control algorithms; lead trials that evidence impact.

• Cross functional delivery: Align with DDM Discovery & Delivery, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Procurement and Finance to resource and govern initiatives; enable contracting, trials, cost models and scale-up.

• Governance & cadence: Prepare concise inputs and recommendations for decision forums (e.g., MMM, DRR/DDR, MT); maintain visibility of pipeline, risks and decisions to enable timely trade-offs. 

• Executive communication: Produce clear options, trade-offs and recommendations supported by data; tailor messages for senior decisions and, where appropriate, external partners.

• Culture & ways of working: Model inclusive, collaborative behaviours across UK/China/Singapore interfaces; create clarity, respect different norms and resolve differences constructively.

Skills & Experience

• Strong technical background in motor technology (e.g., electromagnetics, materials, precision manufacturing) and/or motor drive electronics (power electronics, control algorithms), with evidence of taking lab-proven ideas into production credible solutions. 

• Track record of technology scouting and supplier engagement, ideally across Asia, converting opportunities into pilots and adopted solutions. 

• Ability to plan and run due diligence: qualification criteria, trials, benchmarking and data driven recommendations. 

• Cross functional delivery with Discovery/Delivery, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Procurement and Finance; comfortable with trade-offs and governance. 

• Concise executive communication (briefs, options, recommendations) and relationship building across cultures. 

• Mobility and cross regional collaboration: Able and committed to relocate to China within 6–12 months if starting in the UK, and to travel frequently between China, the UK and Singapore; comfortable operating across time zones and cultures.

Desired Qualifications

• Degree in a relevant engineering discipline (e.g., Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical) or equivalent experience.

• Excellent Mandarin/Chinese language skills, verbal and written.

• Experience with competitor intelligence for electromechanical systems (defining measurement approaches; interpreting public performance claims). 

• Familiarity with cost models for motors and motor drive electronics (materials, yield, process capability, equipment amortisation).

• Prior work within Asia based manufacturing ecosystems and supplier qualification frameworks

Dyson is an equal opportunity employer. We know that great minds don’t think alike, and it takes all kinds of minds to make our technology so unique. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and employment decisions are made without regard to race, colour, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other any other dimension of diversity.