Role: Lead project engineer
Located: Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
Salary: competitive approx. £58,000 to £70,000
Travel: Limited – Some travel to client sites for technical support and commissioning.
We are looking to hire a lead project engineer to help lead and support 2x engineers who are experienced.
This role is a blend of hands-on engineering with project management and leadership 60% Team/Project Management, 40% Technical Design/Review and everything is done in house!
This role is pivotal in a manufacturing environment, as it sits at the intersection of engineering innovation, shop-floor production, and strategic leadership. For a company specialising in extrusion cutting machines the Lead project engineer ensures that the product is not only well-designed but also manufacturable, reliable, and compliant with safety standards.
You must have knowledge of the CE Machinery Directive and EN safety standards.
The ideal candidate is someone who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty on a prototype machine but is equally comfortable presenting a technical road-map to customers at a senior management level.
You should be a \"systems thinker\" who understands how minor changes can impact the physical precision of a cutting machine.
Role Overview:
The Lead project engineer is responsible for leading the engineering and technical department to design, develop, and improve our extrusion cutting machinery.
You will oversee the entire product lifecycle - from initial R&D and CAD design to assembly-line troubleshooting and final quality assurance.
Your goal is to maintain technical excellence while ensuring production deadlines and cost targets are met.
Key Responsibilities:
* Engineering Leadership: Lead a team of mechanical, electrical, and software engineers. Provide mentorship and technical direction on complex projects.
* Product Development (R&D): Drive the innovation of new cutting technologies to keep the company competitive.
* Manufacturing Support: Bridge the gap between design and production. Optimise manufacturing processes to reduce delivery times and material waste.
* Technical Compliance and Safety: Ensure all machines meet international safety standards (EN/ISO and CE) and industry-specific regulations.
* Project Management: Oversee technical timelines, budgeting for engineering projects, and resource allocation to ensure on-time delivery of machine orders.
* Supplier and Quality Management: Evaluate and select suppliers for critical components like servo controllers and related components. Implement rigorous testing protocols for finished machines.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
Technical Expertise:
* Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in mechanical, electrical, or mechatronics engineering.
* Industry Experience: Ideally 7+ years in industrial machinery manufacturing, preferably with automated servo motion control systems.
* Software Proficiency: Good knowledge of 3D CAD software (SolidWorks ideally). Familiarity with servo and PLC programming (Siemens) would be a major plus.
* Cutting Tech Knowledge: Some understanding of at least one core cutting technology would be good although not essential.
Core Competencies:
* Problem-solving: Ability to diagnose complex mechanical failures or software glitches on the shop floor.
* Strategic Thinking: Balancing \"perfect engineering\" with \"commercial reality\" (cost vs. performance).
* Communication: Translating complex technical concepts for non-technical stakeholders (sales, marketing, and customers).
How to apply?
Please send a CV to danni@cortechtalentsolutions.co.uk