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.
TPA Recruit is a specialist recruitment agency acting on behalf of our client to source and assess suitable candidates for this position. All applications will be reviewed and processed by our team, who will liaise directly with shortlisted individuals throughout the hiring process