R&D Manager, Medium Voltage | alfanar Electric

Job Purpose

Lead and manage the research, design, and development of critical components for Medium Voltage (MV) Switchgear (SG) and Medium Voltage Ring Main Units (RMU). Ensure operating mechanisms, load break switches (LBS), and vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) interrupters are engineered to the highest standards of safety, performance, sustainability, and cost efficiency. Drive innovation, compliance, and industrialization to strengthen the competitiveness of both MV SG and MV RMU portfolios.

Key Accountability Areas

R&D Strategy & Leadership

• Define and execute R&D strategies for component development across MV SG and MV RMU, aligned with business objectives and product technology roadmaps.
• Lead development programs for mechanisms, LBS, and VCB components tailored to the specific requirements of MV SG and MV RMU applications.
• Manage resources, budgets, and timelines, ensuring effective prioritization and delivery of component projects across both product lines.

Component Design & Development

• Oversee the design of operating mechanisms (spring, toggle, magnetic, motorized) with focus on accuracy, endurance, and safe integration into both MV SG and MV RMU.
• Direct the development of LBS interrupters, mechanisms, and insulation systems for RMU and overhead applications, including SF₆-free and alternative gas solutions.
• Supervise VCB design activities for MV SG, including interrupters, linkages, and insulation systems for AIS and GIS environments.
• Ensure components are fully optimized for manufacturability, reliability, ergonomics, and seamless integration into both MV SG and MV RMU assemblies.

Testing & Validation

• Define and approve type and prototype test plans covering MV SG and MV RMU components (mechanical endurance, TRV, dielectric, internal arc, environmental cycling, etc.).
• Coordinate type testing with accredited labs (KEMA, CESI, GCC Lab) and oversee in-house prototype validation.
• Lead root cause analysis of failures and ensure effective corrective measures across both product families.

Compliance & Standards

• Guarantee compliance with IEC 62271-1 / 100 / 102 / 103 / 200 standards as well as customer-specific and utility requirements.
• Ensure both MV SG and MV RMU components align with specifications of key regional utilities (SEC, ENOWA, Aramco, DEWA, EWA, etc.).
• Maintain technical documentation supporting certifications, approvals, and type testing for both MV SG and RMU projects.

Innovation, Sustainability & Value Engineering

• Drive innovation to develop SF₆-free solutions for RMU and SG components using alternative gases and eco-friendly insulation technologies.
• Apply value engineering principles to optimize materials, tolerances, and processes for reliability, sustainability, and cost reduction.
• Utilize DFMEA and reliability engineering methods to strengthen robustness and long-term quality of SG and RMU components.

Collaboration & Team Development

• Coordinate with manufacturing, supply chain, electrical, and quality teams to ensure industrialization of components for both MV SG and RMU.
• Collaborate with suppliers and R&D institutions to localize and qualify components, reducing costs and lead times across both product lines.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team, fostering expertise in both MV SG and RMU component engineering and building succession pipelines.

Role Accountability

HR Proficiency:

• Ability to recruit, recognize and cultivate high performers and expose them in order to create a robust second line of management.
• Ability to recognize low performers and guide them to improve or release them.
• Ability to treat subordinates equally without any discrimination.
• Assessment criteria of subordinates is performance that leads to planned results.
• Ensure availability of delegation of authority matrix to have sufficient delegations as per company policy.

Responsibility:

• Must take full responsibility for his operation as per the job description and the required deliverables from this position, taking into consideration the general company guidelines.
• Able to anticipate problems and make the necessary proactive steps to prevent them
• Ability to take necessary and proper timely decisions.

Delivery:

• Deliver the required results in timely manner with required quality and cost.
• Making a Tangible Difference:
• Must make a tangible difference to his area of operation. and exceed business expectations.

Business Planning and Performance:

• Able to transform the corporate goals into business plans.
• Able to Plan, follow-up and execute those plans, whether they are annual or development plans.
• Monitor the plan performance and initiate action to strengthen results and take the corrective action accordingly.
• Provide periodic work progress reports.
• Responsible for monitoring and controlling budgets and expenses to achieve the optimum cost efficiency.

Organizational Development:

• Develop the organizational structure according to the current requirements taking into consideration future and development plans.
• Ensure availability of job descriptions for all job roles and deployment.

Business Process Improvements:

• Develop, coordinate well-defined written systems, policies, procedures, and seek automations opportunities as much as possible.
• Should be conversant and able to navigate through IT solutions especially those relevant to his job and business.
• Promote the automated systems and using them fully, to spread its culture.

Quality:

• Quality is considered as alfanar’s prime competitive advantage as such, managers are expected to act accordingly.

Adaptation:

• Adapt to new and alternative techniques, technologies, management structures, and business models.

Health, Safety and Environment:

• Ensure a safe, secure, and legal work environment as per the standard regulations.

Academic Qualification

Work Experience

Technical / Functional Competencies