Chief Design Engineer

Royal Leamington Spa; Royal Leamington Spa; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Syntech Recruitment is seeking a Chief Design Engineer near Leamington Spa to lead transmission and driveline design programmes from concept to validation. The role combines senior technical leadership with hands-on design and mentoring of the wider design team.

You will drive design reviews, GD&T governance and DFMEA activities while collaborating with manufacturing, suppliers and sales to deliver robust, market-ready solutions.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree or equivalent qualification required.
• Strong transmission design experience with development, validation and testing.
• Advanced CAD modelling experience and excellent GD&T knowledge.
• Proven DFMEA experience and ability to lead design reviews.
• Experience with engineering change management and PLM systems.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring of engineers.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead transmission design programmes from concept through to hardware validation.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to the design team.
• Lead transmission layouts and DMU design reviews.
• Act as the technical authority for design best practices and GD&T.
• Lead DFMEA activities and sign off on 2D drawings and tolerancing.
• Support problem-solving and design improvements across teams.
• Manage technical relationships with suppliers.
• Develop technical scopes of work for customer proposals.
• Introduce new engineering technologies, methods and materials.
• Improve CAD and CAE processes and ensure PLM controlled designs.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, suppliers, sales and other engineering groups.

Skills

Transmission design

DFMEA

GD&T

Mentoring

Supplier management

CAD modelling

Engineering drawings

Problem solving

Manufacturing awareness

Stakeholder management

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

CAD software

PLM systems

Job description

Chief Design Engineer Location: Near Leamington Spa (20 mins drive) Job Type: Permanent Syntech Recruitment are recruiting for an experienced Chief Design Engineer to lead transmission and driveline design programmes for an engineering business near Leamington Spa. This is a senior technical role covering projects from concept through to hardware validation, alongside technical leadership and development of the wider design team.

Chief Design Engineer Responsibilities

• Lead transmission design programmes from concept through to hardware validation
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to the design team
• Lead transmission layouts and DMU design reviews
• Act as the technical authority for design best practice and GD&T Review transmission, driveline and component designs
• Lead DFMEA activities
• Sign off production 2D drawings and geometric tolerancing
• Support technical problem-solving and design improvements
• Manage technical relationships with suppliers
• Develop technical scopes of work for customer proposals
• Introduce new engineering technologies, methods and materials
• Improve CAD and CAE processes
• Ensure designs are controlled through established engineering and PLM processes
• Work closely with manufacturing, suppliers, sales and other engineering teams

Chief Design Engineer Profile

• Engineering degree or equivalent qualification
• Minimum 10 years' transmission design engineering experience
• Strong knowledge of transmission design, development, validation and testing
• Advanced CAD modelling experience
• Strong knowledge of GD&T and engineering drawings
• Proven DFMEA experience
• Experience with engineering change and PLM systems
• Previous experience leading and mentoring engineers
• Strong technical problem-solving skills
• Good understanding of manufacturing processes
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills