Engineering Manager

Reed Specialist Recruitment; Barnstaple; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Reed Specialist Recruitment are seeking an experienced Engineering Lead/Manager to join a growing manufacturing business and drive engineering excellence across the operation. This role is ideal for a hands-on engineering leader who enjoys creating structure, improving processes and leading New Product Introduction (NPI) activities from enquiry through to full production.

You will lead engineering processes, standards and best practices, manage NPI activities and collaborate with Production,

Qualifications

• Experience leading engineering teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, materials and tolerancing.
• Experience in NPI, process engineering or manufacturing engineering.
• Proven track record of continuous improvement and structured problem-solving.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop engineering processes, standards and best practices.
• Manage engineering activities throughout the NPI lifecycle.
• Translate customer requirements into robust manufacturing processes.
• Drive process capability, dimensional control and production readiness.
• Lead root cause investigations using tools such as 5 Why, Ishikawa and DMAIC.
• Improve yield, quality, scrap reduction and process consistency through data-driven decisions.
• Develop and maintain routings, method sheets and engineering documentation.
• Work closely with Production, Quality, Planning and commercial teams to resolve technical challenges.
• Support equipment selection, commissioning and capability validation.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Manufacturing expertise

NPI experience

Continuous improvement

Data-driven decisions

Stakeholder management

Tools

CAD

Simulation tools

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Engineering Lead / Engineering Manager to join a growing manufacturing business and help drive engineering excellence across the operation.

This role is ideal for a hands-on engineering leader who enjoys creating structure, improving processes and leading New Product Introduction (NPI) activities from enquiry through to full production.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop engineering processes, standards and best practices.


• Manage engineering activities throughout the NPI lifecycle.


• Translate customer requirements into robust manufacturing processes.


• Drive process capability, dimensional control and production readiness.


• Lead root cause investigations using tools such as 5 Why, Ishikawa and DMAIC.


• Improve yield, quality, scrap reduction and process consistency through data-driven decisions.


• Develop and maintain routings, method sheets and engineering documentation.


• Work closely with Production, Quality, Planning and commercial teams to resolve technical challenges.


• Support equipment selection, commissioning and capability validation.

About You

Essential

• Engineering leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.


• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, materials and tolerancing.


• Experience in NPI, process engineering or manufacturing engineering.


• Proven track record of continuous improvement and structured problem-solving.


• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable

• Experience within casting, foundry, aerospace, automotive or precision engineering environments.


• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, SPC, capability studies and standard work.


• Exposure to CAD, simulation tools or customer-facing technical roles.

What We're Looking For

• Practical, methodical and highly organised.


• A hands-on leader with strong accountability and follow-through.


• Analytical and data-driven in approach.


• Passionate about continuous improvement and manufacturing excellence.