Manufacturing Engineer
Location:
Hayes, UK
Contract Type:
Permanent
Salary:
up to £43,000
Are you a driven Manufacturing Engineer with a passion for process improvement and cross-functional collaboration? We're seeking a skilled professional to join our team and lead the development and optimisation of manufacturing processes, tooling, and documentation to support high-performance production operations.
Key Responsibilities
* Create, review, and maintain manufacturing work instructions and technical documentation, including tooling usage, inspection regimes, and critical checks.
* Lead and contribute to cross-functional projects involving Operations, IT, Tooling, Supply Chain, and Maintenance to implement effective manufacturing solutions.
* Investigate and develop new methods, layouts, and processes to enhance equipment flexibility, throughput, and compliance with OEM standards.
* Identify and eliminate process waste through root cause analysis and sustainable improvement actions.
* Plan, coordinate, and deliver engineering projects from concept to completion, ensuring quality, cost, and timing objectives are met.
* Lead troubleshooting and problem-solving activities to resolve production issues in collaboration with production teams.
* Analyse production performance metrics (e.g., cycle times, downtime, waste) and provide actionable recommendations.
* Apply Lean manufacturing, statistical analysis, and process mapping techniques to drive continuous improvement.
* Support and optimise equipment maintenance programs to ensure operational readiness.
* Manage and maintain master data for tooling and equipment within the SAP system.
* Conduct time and motion studies, workflow analysis, line balancing, and capacity analysis to identify bottlenecks.
Qualifications & Education
* Minimum HND in a mechanical discipline; higher qualifications considered with a demonstrated interest in tool design.
* CAD proficiency (SolidWorks preferred).
* Training in Lean manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, and Statistical Process Control is advantageous.
Experience & Skills
* 3–5 years of experience managing end-to-end manufacturing or engineering projects in a production environment.
* Proven track record in driving process improvement using tools such as Pareto analysis, DMAIC, and OEE.
* Experience applying structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., 5 Whys, 8D).
* Strong understanding of metal component processing and surface finishing operations, particularly for aerospace components.
* Skilled in interpreting engineering drawings and applying metrology principles.
* Excellent communication skills with the ability to liaise effectively across teams.
* Advanced IT skills, including ERP/MRP systems, MS Office, and CAD software.