Commercial Project Engineer

Jonathan Lee Recruitment Ltd; England; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking a Commercial Project Engineer for a UK-based automotive company. This role involves managing customer relationships, coordinating sales activities, and supporting project management to ensure growth and customer satisfaction. Ideal candidates will have experience in technical sales support, strong communication skills, and be IT competent, including familiarity with systems like SAP and Salesforce. This position offers a hybrid work environment with some travel required.

Qualifications

• Experience in a similar customer-facing position ideally in automotive.
• IT competent with familiarity in relevant systems.
• Strong communication and organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate RFQ activity, sales planning, and customer engagement.
• Assist with cost models and prepare quotes for production.
• Act as a key point of contact for sales-related data.

Skills

Customer relationship management

Project management

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Tools

SAP

CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce)

Job description

Commercial Project Engineer

Our German owned Client operates in the UK and internationally for the supply of automotive and combustion engine products such as gaskets, shielding systems, stamped and formed metal components. We are looking to recruit a new Commercial Project Engineer (Product/ Programme Sales Manager) to support customer engagement and accurate sales coordination and project engagement.

Based in Redcar (near Cleveland) and working on a hybrid basis, this internal and external customer engagement role is to ensure the successful commercial coordination and accuracy of RFQ activity, data entry, forecasting, sales planning and ultimately growth in sales and customer satisfaction.

Commercial Tasks

• Assist with the controlling of part prices and tooling costs.
• Support preparation of cost models and quotes for prototypes and mass production - working closely with sister companies.
• Help maintain customer portals accurately and manage sales-related data.
• Support the sales planning process in line with business requirements.
• Support Global Sales team members with contract reviews / negotiations, ensuring data is prepared and presented in a professional manner.

Program/Project Management Tasks

• Organise initial kick‑off meetings.
• Support project meetings and documentation.
• Track project timelines and milestones.
• Preparation of the launch content.
• Ensures customer release drawings are documented accordingly.

Communication & Coordination

• Act as a key point of contact for customers and customer documentation.
• Coordinate regularly with internal departments (engineering, manufacturing etc.) to ensure project alignment.
• Regularly engage in on‑site customer visits to build relationships and understand technical and commercial needs.
• Participate in off‑site customer visits in line with business needs.
• Promote the 'Customer Voice' to ensure customer satisfaction.

Change Management

• Support the initiating and tracking of customer change requests.
• Support customer release and audit activities.

Although supporting existing core OEM and tier 1 customers, this role is targeted to expand to support the business development of new customers in new markets. Working alongside the existing sales team, your strengths in customer relationship and engagement is core.

Qualifications

• A positive "can do" attitude and the ability to adapt accordingly/flexibly in line with business and customer needs.
• Experience in a similar customer‑facing position from within a technical commercial sales support / engineering / program management / business administration environment (ideally automotive).
• IT competent. Familiarity with SAP, CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce) or equivalent would be extremely beneficial.
• Strong communication and organisational skills along with excellent communication / presentation skills.
• Able to work collaboratively and build good working relationships with others, as well as work independently in an effective manner as required.
• Able to undertake some occasional UK‑based travel or other Group locations (e.g. Germany).