Design Automation Engineer

John Crane; Slough; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

John Crane in Slough, part of Smiths Group, seeks an experienced Design Automation Engineer to drive automation across engineering workflows. You will implement Rulestream, .NET applications, and data integrations to enable configurable standard designs within Solid Edge.

You will collaborate with the Senior Application Engineer and cross-functional teams to improve productivity, quality, and compliance while supporting CAD modelling standards and design-for-manufacture principles.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering or Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• Strong experience in CAD Automation and/or Engineering Application Development.
• Experience working as a full-stack developer across desktop, web, and client applications.
• Strong understanding of Rulestream Architect, Engineer, VIA Web and Integration; ASP.NET, C#.NET, Entity Framework 6, LINQ; REST and SOAP APIs; Serialization technologies.
• Proficiency with jQuery, AJAX, ReactJS and/or Angular; Bootstrap and Material UI; JSON and XML; WinForms and WPF.
• Experience with SQL Server and Oracle databases; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; clear English communication.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain engineering automation apps using Rulestream, C#.NET, and VB.NET for configurable designs within Solid Edge.
• Collaborate with the Senior Application Engineer to develop UIs, database structures, and system integrations.
• Develop and support design automation solutions that improve efficiency, accuracy, and consistency across design processes.
• Work with SQL Server and Oracle databases to support development and integration requirements.
• Perform full-stack development across desktop, web, and client applications with Rulestream architecture in mind.
• Apply MVVM and MVC patterns to create scalable, maintainable solutions.
• Support CAD modelling and drafting standards and incorporate DFM/DFA principles.
• Maintain engineering tools and outputs including BOM generation and calculations.
• Produce technical documentation, user guides, and process docs.

Skills

CAD Automation

Full-stack development

Problem-solving

Attention to detail

English communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Rulestream

C#.NET

VB.NET

ASP.NET

Entity Framework 6

LINQ

REST APIs

SOAP APIs

Serialization technologies

jQuery

AJAX

ReactJS

Angular

Bootstrap

Material UI

JSON

XML

WinForms

WPF

SQL Server

Oracle

Job description

John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission-critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, bearings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies.

We have a global network of more than 200 sites in over 50 countries and employ more than 6,000 people worldwide. We partner with our customers to help them keep their operations safe, reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and meet the latest environmental standards.

John Crane is part of Smiths Group. For over 170 years, Smiths has been pioneering progress by engineering for a better future. We serve millions of people every year, helping to create a safer, more efficient, productive, and better-connected world across four global markets: energy, security & defence, space & aerospace, and general industrial. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Smiths employs approximately 16,000 colleagues in over 50 countries.

John Crane is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to crafting an inclusive environment for all employee

Job Description

We are seeking an experiencedDesign Automation Engineer to drive innovation and efficiency across our engineering design processes. In this role, you will leverage technology to automate, streamline, and enhance engineering workflows, helping to improve productivity while maintaining the highest standards of product quality, compliance, and performance.

Working closely with the Senior Application Engineer and cross-functional teams, you will design, develop, implement, and support engineering automation solutions, applications, databases, and integrations. You will play a key role in developing configurable design systems, improving CAD automation capabilities, and ensuring engineering tools support business growth and operational excellence.

This is an exciting opportunity for a technically strong software professional who is passionate about automation, problem-solving, and continuous improvement within an engineering environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain engineering automation applications using Rulestream, C#.NET, and VB.NET to drive and automate configurable standard designs within Solid Edge.
• Collaborate with the Senior Application Engineer to develop applications, user interfaces, database structures, and system integrations.
• Develop and support engineering design automation solutions that improve efficiency, accuracy, and consistency across design processes.
• Work with SQL Server and Oracle databases to support application development and integration requirements.
• Perform full-stack development across desktop, web, and client-side applications while also acting as a Rulestream Architect.
• Apply industry-standard software design patterns, including Singleton, Factory, MVVM, and MVC, to create scalable and maintainable solutions.
• Support the development and implementation of CAD modelling and drafting standards.
• Partner with engineering, drafting, and operations teams to incorporate Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) principles into models and drawings.
• Continuously enhance design automation tools to improve engineering productivity and design accuracy.
• Maintain and support engineering-related tools and outputs, including spreadsheets, calculations, parts lists, and BOM generation processes.
• Develop and maintain system procedures to ensure consistent quality and adherence to company and industry standards.
• Provide technical guidance and training to colleagues and stakeholders where required.
• Produce and maintain technical documentation, user guides, and process documentation.
• Support additional projects and continuous improvement initiatives as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Strong experience in CAD Automation and/or Engineering Application Development.
• Experience working as a full-stack developer across desktop, web, and client applications.
• Strong understanding of:
• Rulestream Architect, Engineer, VIA Web and Integration
• ASP.NET, C#.NET, Entity Framework 6, LINQ
• REST and SOAP APIs
• Serialization technologies
• jQuery, AJAX, ReactJS and/or Angular
• Bootstrap and Material UI
• JSON and XML
• WinForms and WPF
• Experience working with SQL Server and Oracle databases.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• High attention to detail and commitment to delivering quality solutions.
• Ability to communicate effectively in spoken and written English.

Additional Information

With colleagues stretching across the globe, we are proud of our diversity. To foster inclusivity, we run employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a safe space for employees to connect and support each other. Our cross-business ERGs include Veterans, Pride Network, Black Employee Network, Women@Work Network, and Neurodiversity.

Across our company, we recognize excellence, culminating in the Smiths Excellence Awards, our annual celebration of the most extraordinary activities, people, and projects that best showcase our strengths and help drive our business forward. We announce these on our annual Smiths Day, a global celebration of Smiths around our network.