Product engineer

COMPANY BACKGROUND:

SLINGCO is an award-winning supplier of high-quality tools and accessories for the installation and handling of cable, with over 40 years of industry heritage. We serve customers in over 70 countries worldwide from our head office in Lancashire, UK, and bases in Georgia, USA, and Bengaluru, India.

Our products are used in safety critical applications for a wide range of markets. With sectors including oil & gas, civil engineering, aerospace, transport, utilities, marine/offshore and the military – there’s no room for error. That’s why we do everything with the utmost care and precision.

We design and manufacture to the highest specifications and test to destruction. If our products don’t meet and exceed the most stringent national and international standards, they’re not good enough for our customers.

At Slingco, our goal is to create innovative high-quality products that our customers can depend on, whilst providing a positive experience for our customers and our employees. Every aspect of our work, culture and commitment to innovation is driven by our core values.

LOCATION: Onsite at Slingco's Head Office in Rawtenstall, Lancashire

BENEFITS

£40,000 - £45,000 per annum

30 days’ annual leave including Bank Holidays, rising to 35 with service

Option to purchase up to 5 additional holidays

Hybrid working option for eligible roles

Enhanced employer pension contributions

Your birthday off every year

Life assurance cover worth 4x salary

Gym membership

Cycle to Work scheme

Employee loan scheme

Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Product Engineer will be responsible for technical support of released products throughout their lifecycle. The role focuses on maintaining product performance, SKU expansion, supporting VAVE and second sourcing activity, ownership of the technical content of production driven engineering changes, resolving product-related issues, while enabling Product Development Engineers to remain focused on New Product Development activities.

The role works closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Development teams to ensure products remain robust, manufacturable, cost-effective, and fit for ongoing production.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Released Product Support

Act as the technical support for products in their post production release lifecycle

Coordinate resolution of product, production, supplier, or field-related technical issues

Support the transition of products from development into sustaining ownership

Own the technical content of production driven engineering changes for released products

Product Variant & SKU Management

Support the introduction and management of product variants and SKU expansion activities

Ensure product configurations, documentation, and technical definitions remain accurate and controlled

Support assessment of the impact of variant proliferation on manufacturing, supply chain, quality, compliance, and engineering complexity

Drive standardisation, simplification, and effective configuration management across released product range

Compliance Testing & Product Conformity

Plan, coordinate, and manage ongoing compliance testing for released products as required

Define and coordinate any required re-testing, validation, or documentation updates following product or supply chain changes

Liaise with internal stakeholders, external test houses, and certification bodies to support compliance activities

Maintain compliance evidence, including test reports, certificates, declarations, and supporting technical documentation

Product Issue Resolution

Lead technical root cause investigations for released product related failures or recurring issues

Coordinate corrective and preventive actions with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Product Development teams

Drive actions to reduce repeat issues and improve product robustness

Second Source Development / VAVE Support

Support second sourcing activities of existing products and components through clarification of drawings, specifications, compliance requirements, and technical standards

Coordinate validation and qualification activities to ensure consistency with released designs

Ensure second source changes are assessed for product performance, manufacturability, quality, and compliance impact

Support VAVE activity for released products while ensuring changes remain aligned with product and compliance requirement

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

Pragmatic and solution-oriented approach to problem solving

Strong sense of ownership and accountability

Able to balance technical detail with business priorities

Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving engineering environment

Collaborative and proactive approach to cross-functional working

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS:

Degree, HNC/HND, or equivalent experience in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline

Experience of working within a product engineering, current product engineering, design engineering, or manufacturing engineering environment

Ability to lead or support root cause investigations and structured problem-solving activities

Demonstratable experience of working cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Operations teams

Experience supporting second sourcing, supplier qualification, or supplier transition activities

Experience managing product variants, SKU expansion, or configuration complexity within a manufacturing environment

Strong organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent activities

Strong communication skills with the ability to coordinate technical activities across departments and suppliers