Lead Mechanical Engineer

Brimarco; Ballarat; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary negotiable

Professional development support

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

Brimarco, founded in Ballarat and a long‑standing Australian vehicle manufacturer, seeks a Lead Engineer to own a product line from concept to production-ready drawings. You will interface with clients to design solutions, while building standards and repeatable processes across the site.

You will balance hands-on design with product leadership, mentor engineers, and help drive innovation and efficiency in a one-site operation. Generous salary and development support are offered.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) or equivalent, with registration preferred.
• At least 5 years' experience in heavy trailer, heavy vehicle or specialised vehicle manufacturing.
• Proven leadership of technical projects from concept through to production.

Responsibilities

• Own the engineering outcomes, quality and compliance, including ADR, for your product line.
• Lead product development from concept through to commercialisation.
• Work directly with clients through design reviews.
• Drive standardisation, modular design & common componentry to reduce rework and build time.
• Produce and review manufacturing drawings, BOMs and build specifications.
• Work closely with Production, Sales and Procurement to deliver practical, buildable solutions.
• Diagnose and solve engineering problems, on the drawing board and on the shop floor.
• Mentor others and help shape engineering practice across the business.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Mechanical engineering

Client communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical)

Tools

ERP systems

Revision control

Job description

Brimarco began in Ballarat in 1976 and has operated from its Wendouree site since 1981. Over fifty years we have grown from a local body builder into one of Australia’s most experienced specialist vehicle manufacturers. Our low loaders and widening trailers carry heavy indivisible loads across the country, and our custom vehicle builds, including our expanding capsule mobile medical units, libraries, command centres, broadcast and education vehicles - are in service with government, health, not-for-profit and commercial clients in every state and territory.

We design, engineer, build and fit out complete vehicles in-house, on one site. We are privately owned and personally run, and our clients deal directly with the people who design and build their vehicle.

We are growing our engineering leadership team, and looking for a Lead Engineer to take technical ownership of one of our two product lines.

About the Role

As Lead Engineer, you will be the technical owner of your product line. The work balances hands‑on design with product leadership - taking a build from concept through to production‑ready drawings, sitting with clients to design a solution to suit their requirements, while building the standards, master models and systems that make what we do more repeatable and scalable.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the engineering outcomes, quality and compliance, including ADR, for your product line
• Lead product development from concept through to commercialisation
• Work directly with clients through design reviews
• Drive standardisation, modular design & common componentry to reduce rework and build time
• Produce and review manufacturing drawings, BOMs and build specifications
• Work closely with Production, Sales and Procurement to deliver practical, buildable solutions
• Diagnose and solve engineering problems, on the drawing board and on the shop floor
• Mentor others and help shape engineering practice across the business

About You

To be successful in this role you will be motivated, self-driven and practical. You enjoy getting stuck into a problem and seeing it through to something that can be built. You care about innovation and about results, and you are as comfortable in a client design review as you are on the shop floor.

Essential:

• Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical or equivalent), preferably with professional engineering registration
• At least 5 years' experience in heavy trailer, heavy vehicle or specialised vehicle manufacturing
• Proven experience leading technical projects from concept through to production
• Strong ability to identify and solve a wide range of engineering problems
• Passion for innovation and a drive to succeed
• Clear communication with technical and non-technical people, including clients

Also Helpful:

• Working knowledge of ADR and heavy vehicle regulations
• Experience with modular or platform-based product design
• Experience with ERP systems and structured revision control
• Experience working directly with clients through a design phase

What We Offer

• A genuine leadership role with real authority over your product line
• Engineering, fabrication, fit-out and finishing all on one site, so you see your work built
• Fifty years of Australian manufacturing behind you, in a business still owned and run from Ballarat
• An attractive salary package, negotiable based on experience
• Support for professional development and registration
• Flexible working arrangements available on request