Interim Line Manager R&D

Assignment Description Interim Manager for Materials Specialist Lab (MSL), Shared R&D The consultant will act as interim manager for the Materials Specialist Lab (MSL) within Shared R&D. MSL serves as Husqvarna Group's Center of Excellence for materials engineering and provides specialist support in areas such as metals, polymers, rubber materials, corrosion, surface treatments, material characterization, failure analysis and material approval. The assignment includes overall responsibility for leadership, operational management, resource planning, stakeholder management and continuous development of the laboratory's competence, processes and delivery capability. The interim manager shall ensure business continuity, maintain delivery performance and support ongoing strategic initiatives during the transition period. Tasks Leadership & People Management Lead and develop a team of senior material specialists and laboratory engineers. Conduct regular team meetings, performance dialogues and prioritization activities. Ensure a positive, collaborative and safe working environment. Support competence development and succession planning. Operational Management Manage laboratory workload, resource allocation and prioritization of assignments. Secure timely delivery of investigations, material approvals, expert support and project-related activities. Monitor capacity, risks and escalation needs. Stakeholder Management Act as primary interface towards Product Development, Quality, Sourcing, Manufacturing and external partners. Support strategic projects requiring material expertise and laboratory investigations. Drive alignment between customer needs and laboratory capability. Technical & Quality Governance. Ensure laboratory activities are conducted according to established processes, standards and quality requirements. Support method development and continuous improvement activities. Follow up laboratory investments, equipment needs and operational performance. Transition & Organizational Development Maintain continuity during recruitment/onboarding of permanent manager. Identify improvement opportunities in organization, processes and ways of working. Provide recommendations for future capability and competence development within MSL. Required skills Leadership Experience Minimum 5 years of people management experience. Proven ability to lead highly skilled specialists and subject matter experts. Experience from matrix organizations and cross-functional collaboration. Technical Background University degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or equivalent. Experience from laboratory, testing, validation, product development, quality or materials engineering environments. Ability to understand material-related investigations and laboratory operations, though not necessarily be the leading technical expert. Business & Operational Skills Strong planning and prioritization capabilities. Experience managing multiple stakeholders and competing priorities. Ability to communicate effectively with both specialists and senior management. Personal Competencies: Structured and results-oriented. Collaborative and relationship-focused. Comfortable leading senior experts with deep technical competence. Pragmatic, decisive and able to operate in periods of change. Merit (Preferred) Experience from materials engineering, failure analysis, polymers, metals or product compliance. Experience from accredited laboratories or regulated technical environments. Experience from R&D organizations and global product development.