Lead Engineer

Jonathan Lee Recruitment; Shrewsbury; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Jonathan Lee Group seeks a Lead Engineer to act as the senior technical authority for existing product ranges, improving performance, quality and manufacturability across the serial lifecycle.

You will set design standards, lead changes, mentor engineers, and drive DFM while ensuring compliance and robust revision control.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in mechanical engineering.
• 10+ years engineering experience in manufacturing or industrial products.
• Experience with design control and product lifecycles.
• Strong problem solving and risk management skills.
• Proficient in 3D CAD and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide design authority and set design standards for serial products.
• Lead engineering change for existing products across manufacturing and customers.
• Resolve complex escalations using structured root cause techniques.
• Mentor and coach Design Engineers through reviews and development plans.
• Drive DFM and standardisation to reduce cost and lead time.
• Support compliance and documentation governance with proper revision control.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Engineering leadership

3D CAD

Root cause analysis

Cross-functional communication

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering

HNC/HND in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Autodesk Inventor

SolidWorks

Job description

If you’re looking for a role where technical credibility, mentorship, and operational impact come together, this Lead Engineer position is an excellent match. In this Lead Engineer role, you’ll act as the senior technical authority for existing product ranges, helping keep engineering integrity strong while improving performance, quality, and manufacturability across the serial lifecycle.

What You Will Do:

• Provide design authority for serial products, setting engineering standards, design rules and drawing checks before release.
• Lead engineering change for existing products, assessing impact across manufacturing, inventory, compliance and customers.
• Resolve complex escalations from Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Sales and Service, using structured problem-solving to reach root cause.
• Mentor and coach Design Engineers through design reviews, structured knowledge sharing and input into individual development plans.
• Drive DFM and standardisation initiatives to reduce cost, improve lead time and strengthen build efficiency.
• Support compliance and documentation governance, ensuring correct revision control and that safety and regulatory needs are never compromised.

This Lead Engineer role supports a culture of professionalism and quality, helping ensure products continue to perform, comply and be manufactured efficiently. Your work directly strengthens customer focus through timely engineering responses, improves operational outcomes by reducing repeat issues, and elevates capability by spreading know-how so engineering expertise is not concentrated in one person.

What You Will Bring:

• A degree or HNC/HND in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Typically 10+ years’ engineering experience within manufacturing or industrial products, with a proven track record in technical leadership.
• Strong knowledge of engineering drawings, fabrication and sheet metal, plus experience working across product lifecycles and engineering change control.
• Confident problem-solving skills, including structured root cause techniques and the ability to manage risk when information is incomplete.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD such as Autodesk Inventor and/or SolidWorks, and strong stakeholder communication across cross-functional teams.

Location:

Based at the head office in Telford, with occasional UK and international travel as required.