Job Description
Design Engineer
COMPANY BACKGROUND
Pentre Group is the leading designer and manufacturer in Europe of reels, drums, and spools providing high performance solutions to the wire, cable, umbilical and rope market, a mission critical component. They use steel, wood, and plastics in their designs and supply to 28 countries around the world in a range of industries to support the energy transition, digital expansion, EV electrification and infrastructure projects.
Pentre Group have 4 manufacturing sites: two in the UK (Leigh and St Helens), one in Spain (Barcelona) and one in Czech Republic (Rakovnik). Across those sites the annual turnover is in the region of £22m with 160 employees. The Group is actively developing a cross-site engineering strategy to build technical capability and collaboration across all manufacturing locations.
OVERVIEW
**Condensed hours - 4 day working week - Monday -Thursday**
This is an exciting entry-level opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join the engineering team at Pentre Group. The Design Engineer will work closely alongside and directly support the Technical Manager, taking ownership of a wide range of day-to-day design and engineering tasks.
The role offers excellent exposure to the full engineering lifecycle — from interpreting customer specifications and producing detailed designs, through to cost estimation, labour planning, and technical documentation. Over time, the successful candidate will develop a thorough understanding of the design and manufacture of steel drums and reels used in the transport of wire rope, cables, and umbilicals across global industries.
As Pentre Group develops its group-wide engineering function, this role is expected to evolve to include broader involvement in cross-site technical initiatives and projects. This includes supporting the Technical Manager in providing engineering guidance to the Group's Czech Republic manufacturing site. Occasional international travel to support this function may be required.
This role is well suited to a candidate who has recently completed, or is working towards, an engineering qualification at HND or degree level, and who is eager to develop their technical and commercial skills within a hands-on manufacturing environment.
REPORTS TO
Technical Manager
RESPONSIBLE FOR
Supporting the Technical Manager across design, estimation, documentation, customer-facing engineering activities, and emerging group-wide engineering initiatives. No direct reports.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
Design & Technical
- Assist the Technical Manager in interpreting customer specifications and requirements to produce accurate and compliant designs for steel drums and reels.
- Produce detailed engineering drawings and models using CAD software, ensuring designs meet all applicable standards and customer requirements.
- Support the preparation of design calculations and technical documentation as required, developing capability to produce these independently over time. Verify hand calculations with finite element analysis when required.
- Maintain and manage drawing registers, revision control, and technical filing systems to ensure accurate and accessible records.
- Assist in reviewing designs for manufacturability, highlighting potential issues to the Technical Manager.
- Support longer-term engineering development projects as directed by the Technical Manager.
Estimation & Costing
- Support the Technical Manager in the preparation of accurate cost estimates and labour assessments for customer enquiries.
- Assist in the development and issue of customer quotations, ensuring accuracy of technical content and commercial alignment.
- Build knowledge of material costs, manufacturing processes, and production capabilities to improve the quality and speed of estimating output over time.
Customer & Commercial Support
- Assist the Technical Manager in managing communications with existing customers, supporting the maintenance of strong and productive relationships.
- Producing and submitting quotations to customers, following these up with technical and commercial support where required
- Support the preparation of technical presentations and supporting materials for customer meetings as required.
- Help identify and develop new customer opportunities under the guidance of the Technical Manager.
- Represent Pentre Group professionally in all customer-facing interactions, written and verbal.
Group Engineering
- Support the Technical Manager in providing technical engineering guidance to the wider Group, as a shared engineering function across its manufacturing locations is developed.
- Assist in transferring design standards, drawing practices, and technical processes to the Czech site, helping to establish consistent engineering approaches across the Group.
- Undertake occasional national and international travel across the group to support on-site technical activities, build working relationships with local colleagues, and assist with engineering projects as required.
- Contribute to the development of group-wide engineering initiatives as they evolve, supporting the Technical Manager in identifying opportunities for cross-site collaboration and process alignment.
- Be adaptable and open to working across different product types and manufacturing environments as the Group's engineering strategy develops.
General
- Work collaboratively across the business including Production, Quality, and Commercial teams to support the smooth delivery of orders.
- Attend and contribute to order book and production meetings, providing relevant engineering updates.
- Maintain a proactive approach to personal development, actively seeking to build technical knowledge, industry awareness, and engineering capability.
- Undertake any other reasonable duties within the scope of the role, as required to support the Technical Manager and wider business objectives.
COMMUNICATIONS
The Design Engineer must be able to communicate clearly and professionally with colleagues across all levels of the business, as well as with customers and suppliers. A collaborative and personable approach is essential, as the role involves close day-to-day working with the Technical Manager and regular interaction with production and commercial teams. As the role develops to include cross-site responsibilities, the ability to communicate effectively with international colleagues will become increasingly important.
COMPETENCES AND PERSONAL QUALITIES
- Demonstrates a positive, can-do attitude and genuine enthusiasm for engineering and manufacturing.
- Eager to learn and develop, proactively seeking to expand technical knowledge and skills.
- Strong attention to detail and a methodical approach to work, particularly in design and documentation tasks.
- Communicates clearly and professionally, both in writing and verbally, including in customer-facing and international situations.
- Works well as part of a team, building good relationships with colleagues across departments and sites.
- Manages time effectively, prioritising tasks and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment. An ability to manage multiple projects at any one time will be required.
- Shows initiative and the ability to work independently once tasks are established, reducing the need for close supervision over time.
- Demonstrates integrity and professionalism in all interactions, representing Pentre Group's values.
- Commercially aware, with an understanding of how engineering decisions impact cost, quality, and customer satisfaction.
- Open to international travel and working across different cultural environments as the role develops.
- Adaptable and flexible, comfortable working across a variety of tasks and evolving responsibilities as the Group's engineering strategy develops.
EMPLOYMENT & EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
- A relevant engineering qualification at HND or BEng degree level. Equivalent vocational qualifications or apprenticeship training will also be considered.
- Some practical experience or exposure to a manufacturing or fabrication environment is desirable, whether through placement, apprenticeship, or employment.
- CAD skills are desirable; full training and development will be provided.
- Understanding and experience of finite element analysis (FEA) is desirable
- Experience using MathCad or similar is desirable
- An understanding of steel fabrication, structural design, or related engineering disciplines would be an advantage.
- Familiarity with engineering drawing standards and interpretation is required.
- Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) is expected.
- A valid passport and willingness to undertake occasional international travel is required.
- A strong desire to progress within a technical engineering career is essential.
Pay: £28,000.00-£30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
