Engineering Manager
Location: Kidderminster. On-site.
Salary: £55,000 - £60,000 + 5k Car Allowance.
Job Type: Full-time. Permanent.
Introduction
Latham & Bond Recruitment Group are supporting a market-leading Tier 1 automotive manufacturing organisation based in Kidderminster. This business supplies high-precision engineered components to global OEM programmes and is investing heavily in new production lines, capital equipment, and next-generation manufacturing capability.
This Engineering Manager role sits at the centre of that growth. You will own the engineering function across CNC machining, assembly, and test operations, while leading both new product introduction and continuous improvement across existing production lines.
You will control technical direction, capital spend, and team performance across the full manufacturing lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead all engineering and manufacturing development for existing and new products.
* Design, prove, implement, and maintain production processes to deliver product on time, to quality, and to cost.
* Own process definition, line design, installation, and optimisation across CNC machining, assembly, and test operations.
* Provide technical leadership to Production and Process Engineers.
* Drive continuous improvement in quality, cycle time, machine availability, and cost through lean and value engineering.
* Provide technical input into bids for new business and support successful programme awards.
* Build and manage project plans, budgets, and milestone delivery for capital and process development projects.
* Identify, justify, and manage capital equipment and tooling investment.
* Analyse downtime, identify trends, and implement permanent corrective actions.
* Lead structured root cause analysis and problem-solving activity.
* Develop, deploy, and manage KPIs across all engineering and manufacturing areas.
* Control departmental and capital expenditure budgets.
* Ensure procedures, documentation, and technical standards remain accurate and compliant.
* Conduct risk assessments across processes and tasks.
* Engage and manage external engineering resources where required.
* Produce reports and present data to senior leadership.
Skills and Attributes
* Proven experience within CNC machining, assembly, and test operations in a Tier 1 automotive or high-volume manufacturing environment.
* Strong knowledge of IATF 16949, automotive systems, and structured problem-solving tools.
* Deep understanding of lean manufacturing and waste reduction.
* Strong planning and prioritisation skills.
* Confident communicator with the ability to present technical and financial data.
* High level of analytical and problem-solving capability.
* Strong leadership and people development skills.
* Ability to work in fast-moving, complex manufacturing environments.
* Strong negotiation and stakeholder management ability.
* High level of technical judgement and initiative.
Qualifications and Experience
* Degree in Manufacturing or Engineering, or HND, BTEC Level 5, or NVQ Level 5 equivalent.
* Professional body membership desirable.
* Strong experience of CNC machining from three to five axis, from prototype through to high volume production.
* Strong working knowledge of CNC machines, fixturing, CAD systems in 2D and 3D, and component drawings.
* Hands-on experience of DFMEA, FMEA, APQP, PPAP, and Six Sigma.
* Proven experience leading New Product Introduction into production.
If you are an Engineering Manager who thrives in high precision, fast-paced automotive manufacturing and wants full ownership of engineering delivery, capital projects, and team leadership, this is a strong platform to make an impact.