Hands-On Manufacturing Engineer: CI & OEE Improvement Lead

Futures; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Futures in Cardiff is seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer to drive continuous improvement across manufacturing, processes and equipment. This hands-on role focuses on boosting plant performance and delivering tangible shop-floor gains.

You will lead CI initiatives, work with production and maintenance teams, and apply Lean/CI methods such as Kaizen and SMED to achieve measurable improvements. A solid mechanical background and proactive problem solving are essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Solid mechanical engineering background with practical, hands-on capability.
• Knowledge of OEE, RCA, Lean, 5S, Kaizen, SMED or similar methodologies.
• Experience working with automated manufacturing equipment would be advantageous.
• Strong problem-solving and project delivery skills.
• Engineering qualification at HNC/HND or Degree level.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver Continuous Improvement projects across manufacturing.
• Improve OEE, productivity, efficiency, quality and waste.
• Provide hands-on mechanical engineering support across equipment and processes.
• Drive structured problem-solving, root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Support equipment upgrades, process improvements and engineering projects.
• Work closely with Production, Maintenance, Quality and Engineering teams.
• Support introduction and optimisation of new equipment and processes.
• Use Lean Manufacturing and CI methodologies to deliver measurable improvements.
• Act as a technical contact and promote engineering best practice across the site.

Skills

Hands-on manufacturing engineering

Continuous Improvement

Root cause analysis

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Engineering degree/HNC or equivalent

Tools

Automation equipment experience

Job description

Futures in Cardiff is seeking a Lead Manufacturing Engineer to drive continuous improvement across manufacturing, processes and equipment. This hands-on role focuses on boosting plant performance and delivering tangible shop-floor gains.

You will lead CI initiatives, work with production and maintenance teams, and apply Lean/CI methods such as Kaizen and SMED to achieve measurable improvements. A solid mechanical background and proactive problem solving are essential.