Lead Manufacturing Engineer

Enterprise Recruitment Ltd; Southampton; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Enterprise Recruitment Ltd seeks a Lead Manufacturing Engineer to lead a team of engineers and technicians, providing hands-on support while driving improvements across manufacturing processes, quality and productivity in a state‑of‑the‑art facility. The role is roughly 50/50 between manufacturing and a highly controlled cleanroom environment, with strict procedures and PPE required.

You will own day‑to‑day manufacturing engineering activities, resolve complex production issues, drive continuous

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Manufacturing Engineering experience.
• Experience in high-tech or precision manufacturing environments.
• Comfortable working 50/50 across manufacturing and cleanroom environments, PPE.
• Strong leadership and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with NPI, process development and engineering changes.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma and 5S.
• Experience in optics or fine mechanical assembly is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day manufacturing engineering activities and teams.
• Provide hands-on engineering support and drive improvements across processes, quality and productivity.
• Resolve complex production issues and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support NPI, engineering changes and process development throughout the product lifecycle.

Skills

Leadership

Problem solving

Continuous improvement

NPI

Process development

Engineering changes

Lean

Six Sigma

5S

High-precision manufacturing

Optics

Fine mechanical assembly

Job description

Lead Manufacturing Engineer

This key role will lead a team of engineers and technicians, providing hands-on engineering support while driving improvements across manufacturing processes, quality, productivity and overall manufacturing capability.

Based at a state-of-the-art manufacturing and engineering facility, you will have the opportunity to see products progress through the complete manufacturing journey, from initial assembly and specialist processes through to testing and final production. Working alongside experienced Engineering, Production, Quality and R&D teams, you will gain genuine visibility of the full product lifecycle.

The role is approximately 50/50 between manufacturing and a highly controlled cleanroom environment. You will need to be comfortable working in controlled environments, following strict procedures and wearing the required PPE.

You will lead day-to-day manufacturing engineering activities, resolve complex production issues and implement sustainable solutions. You will drive continuous improvement across yield, productivity, quality and scrap reduction, while supporting NPI, engineering changes and process development.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Manufacturing Engineer looking to step into a leadership position within a technically advanced environment. You will work on technically challenging products, gain exposure to the full manufacturing lifecycle and benefit from strong training and career development opportunities.

Requirements:

• 5+ years of Manufacturing Engineering experience.
• Experience working in a high-tech or precision manufacturing environment.
• Comfortable working 50/50 across manufacturing and controlled cleanroom environments, including wearing PPE.
• Strong leadership, problem-solving and continuous improvement skills.
• Experience with NPI, process development and engineering changes.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma and 5S.
• Experience in high-precision manufacturing, optics or fine mechanical assembly would be highly desirable