Lead Design Engineer

Custom Power; South Somerset; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Custom Power, based in Crewkerne, seeks a Lead Design Engineer to head our Design Engineering team. You will drive hands-on battery solution development from concept through testing and manufacturing readiness, coordinating with engineering, manufacturing, quality and project management.

You will guide and mentor engineers, manage workloads, review designs and BOMs, and lead design reviews to ensure robust decisions. A strong background in electrical/electronic/battery engineering is essential.

Qualifications

• A relevant engineering degree or equivalent qualification and practical experience.
• Strong design engineering experience within electrical, electronic, systems or battery engineering.
• Understanding of battery-pack development and/or battery-cell design and manufacture.
• Experience leading, supervising or mentoring engineers.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, electronic circuits, technical specifications and customer requirements.
• Experience supporting multidisciplinary product development and NPI activities.
• Knowledge of design reviews, DFMEA, risk assessments and product verification.
• Strong organisational, communication and technical decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

• Leading and developing the Design Engineering team, providing technical guidance, coaching and support.
• Managing engineering workloads, priorities and project deliverables.
• Overseeing the design and development of new and existing battery solutions.
• Reviewing engineering drawings, specifications, bills of materials and relevant electronic design documentation.
• Leading technical design reviews, identifying risks and ensuring robust engineering decisions.
• Supporting new product introduction (NPI), design transfer and manufacturing readiness.
• Coordinating prototyping, testing, verification and product development activities.
• Maintaining engineering documentation, configuration control and design assurance standards.
• Working collaboratively with customers, suppliers and internal teams to resolve technical challenges.
• Driving continuous improvement across engineering processes, technical standards and team capability.

Skills

Design engineering

Leadership

Problem solving

Communication

NPI/product development

Documentation/design assurance

Project management

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

DFMEA

PCB schematics

Firmware interfaces

ECAD tools

Job description

Are you an experienced Design Engineer ready to take the lead, develop a talented engineering team and help deliver innovative battery solutions?

At Custom Power, we're looking for a technically strong and proactive Lead Design Engineer to lead our Design Engineering team in Crewkerne. This is an opportunity to combine hands-on engineering expertise with technical leadership, supporting the development of specialist battery solutions for demanding applications. Working closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality and Project Management, you'll help take products from initial concept through design, testing and successful introduction into manufacture.

What You Will Be Doing

• Leading and developing the Design Engineering team, providing technical guidance, coaching and support.
• Managing engineering workloads, priorities and project deliverables.
• Overseeing the design and development of new and existing battery solutions.
• Reviewing engineering drawings, specifications, bills of materials and relevant electronic design documentation.
• Leading technical design reviews, identifying risks and ensuring robust engineering decisions.
• Supporting new product introduction (NPI), design transfer and manufacturing readiness.
• Coordinating prototyping, testing, verification and product development activities.
• Maintaining engineering documentation, configuration control and design assurance standards.
• Working collaboratively with customers, suppliers and internal teams to resolve technical challenges.
• Driving continuous improvement across engineering processes, technical standards and team capability.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for an experienced engineer who enjoys combining technical problem-solving with developing and supporting others.

You will bring:

• A relevant engineering degree or equivalent qualification and practical experience.
• Strong design engineering experience within electrical, electronic, systems or battery engineering.
• An understanding of battery-pack development and/or battery-cell design and manufacture.
• Experience leading, supervising or mentoring engineers.
• The ability to interpret engineering drawings, electronic circuits, technical specifications and customer requirements.
• Experience supporting multidisciplinary product development and NPI activities.
• Knowledge of design reviews, DFMEA, risk assessments and product verification.
• Strong organisational, communication and technical decision-making skills.

You will particularly stand out if you have experience with:

• Battery packs, battery-management systems (BMS) or associated electronic assemblies.
• PCB schematics, firmware interfaces and electronic product development.
• Safety-critical or highly regulated products.
• Engineering design assurance, technical governance and process improvement.
• Taking complex products through design verification and into production.

You will have the opportunity to lead a talented engineering team, influence technical decisions and contribute to the development of specialist battery solutions. This is a varied role where you can remain technically hands-on while developing enginyour leadership skills, improving engineering processes and helping deliver high-quality products.

Ready to take the next step in your engineering career?

If you're an experienced Design Engineer with a passion for technical excellence, innovation and developing others, we'd love to hear from you.