Lead Engineer
Job Purpose:
The primary focus of the role will be leading product design and development of automotive products to leading OEM and Tier 1 customers, specialising in interior/exterior trim and under bonnet plastic components. Working as part of the Design and Development team, the role will ensure the delivery of robust component and assembly designs, capable of meeting and exceeding internal and external customer requirements.
The successful candidate will be responsible for leading the resolution of complex component and system issues, including engineering investigations, root cause analysis and identification of permanent corrective actions, working closely with NPI and Operations teams.
Key Areas of Responsibility, Duties and Deliverables Expected:
Responsibilities:
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Lead the design, development and delivery of assigned automotive projects, according to customer requirements and specifications.
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Identify component and system level design issues, advising solutions and proactive resolutions throughout the design and pre-production phases.
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Lead cross-functional problem resolution for complex component and system issues.
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Lead internal and external meetings from a design perspective and provide technical knowledge and direction, as required, in support of project objectives.
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Liaise with and manage the output of CAD and CAE Teams, ensuring a regular review and follow-up cadence in accordance with project milestones and agreements.
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Manage project deliverables and report status in line with internal and external gateways and timing requirements.
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Generate concept designs and proposals to support the initial design process and continued development including, as required, the generation of supporting CAD models.
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Manage the delivery of 3D CAD and 2D drawings to industry and company drafting standards, including datum strategy development and GD&T annotation.
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Manage CAD file transfers and releases to internal and external customers ensuring all modelling and system attributes are completed.
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Support benchmarking activities to improve component and assembly design as part of lessons learnt and R&D initiatives.
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Ensure compliance to internal and external design rules and regulatory standards.
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Write technical reports and presentations to communicate design related issues and solutions.
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Work alongside in-house Tooling Engineers to identify and design-out issues prior to tool manufacture.
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Liaise with suppliers directly to ensure that all external requirements are understood and captured in the component/assembly design.
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Generate technical and quality documentation, including DFMEA, to support NPI and customer processes.
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Support production issues and design changes, as required, working closely with plant manufacturing teams to correctly root cause issues and advise/proceed with the correct permanent corrective action.
General Responsibilities & Duties
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Adhere to company quality awareness.
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Meeting Health and Safety standards, supporting others to do the same.
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Assist other areas of the business when required to carry out the same or similar tasks.
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Any other reasonable duties required.
Personal Attributes:
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Positive and proactive attitude.
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Strong problem-solving capability.
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Excellent communication and presentation skills.
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Strong attention to detail.
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Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
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Flexible approach with the ability to prioritise workload.
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Strong time management skills.
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Continuous improvement mindset.
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Ability to manage conflict and support team collaboration.
Required Education, Skills, Training and Experience:
Skills
Essential:
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Practical hands-on troubleshooting experience within the automotive industry.
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Structured problem-solving methodology experience.
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Detailed knowledge of injection moulding and automation processes.
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Appreciation of tool design.
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Knowledge of automotive components and sub-systems.
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Experience of injection moulded component design.
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Practical knowledge of CATIA V5.
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Industry experience of drawing and modelling best practices.
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Programme delivery and customer milestone management.
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Sound understanding of Moldflow design principles.
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Experience of GD&T and latest ISO drawing standards.
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Good Microsoft Office skills.
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Technical report writing and presentation skills.
Desirable:
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Knowledge of 3DEXPERIENCE / CATIA V6.
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Materials knowledge, particularly automotive grade and high-performance plastics.
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Understanding of virtual development and validation techniques.
Experience
Essential:
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Minimum of 10 years' industry experience leading the delivery of automotive projects from a technical perspective for a major OEM or Tier 1 Supplier.
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Experience managing multiple concurrent projects.
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Experience working with internal and external customers and suppliers.
Desirable:
Experience supporting manufacturing plants and production issue resolution.
Core Values
We pride ourselves on our attitude & culture. It is essential that our Core Values are met irrespective of the job role.
TRUST
Belief and confidence in the reliability of what we do and how we behave.
OPENNESS
Acting with sincerity and transparency.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Taking ownership of our actions and behaviours and delivering our objectives.
RESPECT
Positive behaviours and actions towards others for their abilities, qualities and achievements.
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
Applying an enterprising mindset to create new opportunities for change, growth for personal and/or business success.
AGILITY
Operating with a rapid and continuous approach to grow our business and our competitive advantage.
Health & Safety Responsibilities
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Set a good example of safe behaviour, particularly to new entrants and young persons.
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Work in a safe manner and observe site Health and Safety rules and procedures.
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Do not misuse or interfere with anything provided to ensure the Health and Safety of themselves and others.
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Correctly use the protective clothing and equipment provided.
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Report any safety concerns promptly to their Supervisor and take action to prevent injury if it is safe to do so.
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Report all injuries that occur at work and obtain the necessary first aid treatment.
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Help in the investigation of accidents to prevent recurrence.
Additional Information
This job description reflects the general nature and level of work assigned to the role. It does not restrict management's right to reassign duties, responsibilities or location at any time based on business needs if the work is similar, related or a logical reassignment for the position. The company will, where possible, take into account your personal circumstances.
The role is based at the Minworth Technical Centre; however, some occasional travel to manufacturing plants and customer facilities will be required.
If you feel you're the right fit for this position, please click ‘Apply’ to join our team!
Please note: We operate an exclusive recruitment partnership with Owen Daniels and therefore kindly request no agency contact.
For any recruitment-related enquiries, please contact Owen Daniels directly.
