Rolex R&D Project Manager — Series Life & New Products
- Location
- GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Seniority
- Mid-Level
- Industry
- Fine Watches & Horology
- Posted
- May 19, 2026
About Rolex
Rolex is a preeminent Swiss watchmaker renowned for technical excellence, in‑house manufacturing, and a commitment to precision and durability. The maison operates with a long‑term, craftsmanship‑led philosophy and maintains discreet, highly skilled teams across design, R&D and production.
Rolex — Chargé de projets R&D (Vie Série & Nouveaux Produits) in Geneva, Switzerland. Lead watch product development and series‑life projects.
Role & Responsibilities
- Lead cross‑functional R&D projects from concept through industrialisation, ensuring alignment of technical, production and quality objectives.
- Manage the product lifecycle ('vie série') for existing models, coordinating updates, obsolescence handling and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Define project plans, schedules, budgets and risk registers; monitor progress and implement corrective actions to meet milestones.
- Coordinate prototyping, validation and qualification campaigns including test protocols and acceptance criteria.
- Interface with design, movement engineers, manufacturing, supply chain and external suppliers to ensure manufacturability and compliance with watchmaking tolerances.
- Prepare and maintain technical documentation, specifications and change controls throughout project phases.
- Drive root‑cause analysis for production incidents and implement robust corrective/preventive actions.
- Ensure projects comply with the maison's standards for craftsmanship, durability and regulatory requirements.
Qualifications
- Degree in mechanical engineering, microtechnology, watchmaking or equivalent technical qualification.
- Proven project management experience in watchmaking, precision mechanics or a closely related industry.
- Strong understanding of product lifecycle management, industrialisation processes and quality methodologies.
- Demonstrable ability to coordinate multi‑disciplinary technical teams and external suppliers.
- Fluent technical literacy in interpreting drawings, tolerancing and test data; excellent written documentation skills.
Skills
Experience
Typically 5+ years of progressive experience in R&D or product development within horology, precision engineering or high‑precision manufacturing, including ownership of multiple product or industrialisation projects.
Education
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Microengineering, Watchmaking or an equivalent technical discipline.
Workplace
This position is based in Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Culture
Rolex cultivates a culture of technical excellence, meticulous craftsmanship and discretion. Teams operate with a strong focus on reliability, long‑term quality and continuous improvement within a professionally rigorous Swiss manufacturing environment.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Rolex, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «R&D Project Leader — Product Development», «Product Development Project Manager», «Technical Project Manager — Watchmaking», «Product Lifecycle Project Manager», «New Products & Series-Life Project Lead», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.