Innovation & Development Lead (Household Espresso)

Location: Italy; hybrid working model combining office and home working.

Salary: EUR 80,000–90,000 gross annual fixed compensation, plus variable compensation and work-from-home and phone allowances.

Company

hirify.global develops home-living products and manages international brands including Gaggia, focused here on household espresso innovation.

What you will do

• Lead the Innovation & Development team and participate in the Gaggia Management Team.
• Execute the innovation roadmap by coordinating projects, resources, timelines, budgets, and deliverables.
• Manage product proposition development from idea generation and concept design through development, validation, certification, launch, and lifecycle management.
• Ensure product quality, compliance, testing, continuous improvement, and adherence to Quality Management System processes.
• Coordinate cross-functional collaboration with Marketing, Operations, Procurement, Supply Chain, After Sales, HR, and Finance.
• Act as the technical interface for commercial partners, report project progress and risks, and coach team members.

Requirements

• Technical degree, preferably in Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in an Innovation & Development leadership role, including team management and coordination.
• Strong project management and quality process management capabilities.
• Knowledge of mechanical engineering, fluid dynamics, electronics, and embedded product development.
• Understanding of regulatory and certification requirements, including electrical safety, EMC, food contact compliance, REACH, and RoHS.
• Native-level Italian and fluent English communication skills.

Nice to have

• Experience with Six Sigma, Design of Experiments, or similar methodologies.
• Financial and budget management awareness, investment evaluation, and product costing knowledge.
• Experience communicating with regulatory or certification bodies and synthesizing test-report data.

Culture & Benefits

• Hybrid work combining office and home working according to team dynamics and personal needs.
• International, inclusive, and collaborative working culture.
• Learning and career development opportunities in a high-growth environment.
• Performance-based annual incentive program.
• Work-from-home and phone allowances.