Engineering Design Manager

Engineering Design Manager

Locations: Witney, Oxfordshire Job Type: Full-time, Office-Based Hours: Monday - Friday, 08:30-16:30 Salary: £60,000 - £70,000 (DOE)

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Engineering Design Manager to lead the Engineering function within a growing manufacturing business in Witney, Oxfordshire.

This is a hands-on leadership role with responsibility for leading the Engineering team and overseeing New Product Development (NPD) projects from initial concept through to validation, launch and production.

The successful candidate will provide structure, leadership and direction across Engineering, while working closely with Production, Purchasing, Quality, Sales, Operations and external suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

Lead, coach and develop the Engineering team. Manage the Engineering and NPD project pipeline from initial brief through to production release. Establish clear project scopes, requirements, deliverables, priorities and ownership. Plan and manage engineering resources across multiple projects. Introduce effective project governance, reviews, stage gates and risk management. Monitor project milestones, actions, risks, dependencies and capacity. Provide regular programme updates to senior management. Strengthen and standardise the NPD process from concept through to production. Ensure products are designed for manufacture, quality, performance and commercial requirements. Apply structured risk management techniques such as DFMEA. Improve engineering workflows, documentation and engineering change control. Maintain effective CAD, PDM and document control systems. Support the successful transition of new products into manufacturing. Work closely with Production and Manufacturing to resolve engineering issues. Develop relationships with UK and international suppliers. Support supplier selection, technical reviews, tooling and supplier development. Work with suppliers to resolve technical and quality issues. Support NCRs, root cause analysis and corrective actions. Provide leadership and direction to the Quality function. Establish and monitor Engineering and Quality KPIs. Drive continuous improvement across Engineering and Manufacturing. Support ISO 9001 and other relevant quality standards. Manage engineering budgets and departmental expenditure.

Skills & Experience Required

Significant experience within senior engineering, R&D, NPD or product development leadership. Proven experience leading and developing engineering teams. Strong experience delivering NPD projects from concept through to production. Strong knowledge of manufacturing and engineering processes. Experience using structured project management tools and programme governance. Experience with engineering resource planning and capacity management. SolidWorks experience is essential. Experience implementing or managing PDM/document control systems. Strong understanding of supplier development and technical supplier issues. Experience with quality systems, root cause analysis and corrective actions. Strong KPI, data analysis and continuous improvement experience. Excellent organisational and programme management skills. Strong communication and people management skills. Commercial awareness with the ability to balance cost, quality and delivery. A practical and hands-on approach to engineering leadership.

Desirable Experience

Experience within manufacturing, product development or R&D environments. Experience within automotive, motorsport, specialist engineering or similar sectors. Experience working with international suppliers. Experience with ISO 9001 and quality management systems. Experience with DFMEA or similar structured risk management processes. Engineering degree, HND, HNC or equivalent qualification.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for an experienced engineering leader who combines strong technical knowledge with excellent people leadership and programme management skills.

You will be comfortable leading experienced technical teams without micromanaging, while providing clear direction, structure and accountability.

A practical understanding of manufacturing and product development is important, along with the confidence to challenge decisions and drive continuous improvement.

Benefits

Competitive salary of £60,000 - £70,000 depending on experience. Monday - Friday, 08:30-16:30. Permanent, full-time position. Opportunity to join a growing manufacturing business. Senior leadership position with responsibility for Engineering and NPD. Opportunity to lead and develop an established engineering team. Professional working environment. Long-term opportunity with opportunities for development.

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