Engineering Director Opportunity
West Yorkshire
Competitive Salary + Bonus + Car Allowance
A well-established & internationally recognised engineering and manufacturing business is seeking an Engineering Director to lead the development and continuous improvement of design standards, controls, and methodologies across the business.
The role carries full responsibility for the mechanical engineering function, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to customer specification.
The business designs and manufactures high-value, low-volume engineered systems for a global customer base. It has a strong reputation, deep technical capability, and a long-standing heritage. There is also a clear opportunity to enhance business performance, strengthen leadership collaboration, and further align engineering with profitable growth.
The Brief
Reporting to the CEO, this is a strategic hire to appoint an Engineering Director who will will lead the mechanical engineering team, oversee design resource planning, and drive technical excellence across all projects, while supporting business growth through collaboration with sales and operational teams.
The priority is clear. The business needs an engineering leader who can:
* Strategic leader who can work cross-functionally to drive standards, improve business performance & deliver growth
* Act as Technical Design Lead, developing and managing standard methods of working, design controls, and governance
* Identify opportunities for continuous improvement, cost reduction, and value engineering
* Ensure appropriate design resources are allocated to meet project requirements and mitigate delivery risks
* Support sales and applications teams during tender stages as the technical authority
* Liaise directly with customers, including site visits, to gather technical requirements and assess risks prior to bid submission
* Develop and improve handover procedures from order award to design execution
* Oversee mechanical design teams through detailed design, costings, bill of materials preparation, and specification development
The business needs someone who will bring energy, direction, and follow-through — someone who can align people, improve performance, and deliver projects successfully.
What You Will Do
* Ensure all designs meet technical, quality, and commercial requirements before release
* Manage design-stage project financials, ensuring alignment with tender budgets and margin improvement where possible
* Provide comprehensive design packages to procurement and manufacturing teams
* Support resolution of technical issues during installation and commissioning phases
* Lead cross-disciplinary design review meetings and drive lessons learned implementation
* Ensure adherence to health & safety, quality, and ISO standards
* Develop leadership capability within Design Managers and strengthen the wider engineering team
* Review and implement new technologies and design tools to maintain competitive advantage
* Report on design performance and financials at Operations Board level
* Contribute to divisional leadership and cross-functional management standards
The Person
This role will suit an experienced engineering leader who has delivered both strategic direction and hands-on technical leadership within an SME engineering or manufacturing environment.
You are likely to bring:
* Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Equipment Design, or similar
* A strategic thinker with a proven track record in engineering design leadership
* Experience managing design resources, project budgets, and full lifecycle delivery
* Strong knowledge of quality management systems within engineering design
* Experience supporting sales during technical bid and order conversion stages
* Demonstrated ability to deliver results against deadlines
* Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills
* Proficiency in SolidWorks and 2D/3D CAD systems
Sector background is flexible, but experience in fabrication, welding, engineered products, industrial equipment, special purpose machinery, or complex project manufacturing environments will be highly relevant.
Confidential Search
This appointment is being handled on a confidential basis. Full details will be shared with suitably qualified individuals during the process.