Senior Engineer / Technical Mentor (Metallurgy & Process Engineering)
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Engineer and Technical Mentor to provide leadership across process engineering and continuous improvement (CI) initiatives within a low-volume, high-value capital equipment environment. This role bridges Production and Engineering, ensuring robust metallurgical processes, knowledge transfer, and operational excellence.
The successful candidate will act as a subject matter expert in metallurgy while mentoring engineering and production teams to deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership & Mentorship
* Act as a senior technical authority in metallurgy and process engineering.
* Mentor and develop engineers, technicians, and production staff.
* Provide guidance on complex technical challenges and decision-making.
* Promote a culture of continuous learning and best practice sharing.
Process Ownership & Continuous Improvement
* Oversee and optimise manufacturing processes for metallurgical products.
* Lead and support Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma).
* Identify process inefficiencies and implement sustainable improvements.
* Ensure processes are robust, repeatable, and scalable for low-volume production.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
* Act as the key interface between Engineering and Production teams.
* Support design-for-manufacture (DFM) and design-for-process (DFP) activities.
* Translate engineering requirements into practical production solutions.
* Facilitate communication and alignment across departments.
Project & Product Support
* Provide technical input on large-scale capital equipment projects.
* Support new product introduction (NPI) and process validation.
* Ensure metallurgical integrity and compliance with specifications.
* Troubleshoot issues across the product lifecycle.
Quality & Compliance
* Ensure adherence to industry standards and internal quality systems.
* Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for process failures.
* Maintain documentation, procedures, and technical standards.
Key Skills & Experience
* Degree (or higher) in Metallurgy, Materials Science, or related engineering discipline.
* Significant experience in metallurgical/process engineering within heavy industry or capital equipment.
* Proven experience in mentoring or coaching engineering and production teams.
* Strong understanding of low-volume, high-complexity manufacturing environments.
* Experience with Continuous Improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, etc.).
* Ability to work across disciplines and influence without direct authority.
* Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
Personal Attributes
* Strong communicator with the ability to translate complex concepts clearly.
* Collaborative and approachable leadership style.
* Pragmatic, hands-on approach to engineering challenges.
* Passion for developing people and building technical capability.
* High level of integrity and attention to detail.
Desirable
* Chartered Engineer status (or working towards).
* Experience with large-scale capital equipment or bespoke engineering projects.
* Academic or research background linked to industrial application.