Manufacturing Controls Engineer

McLaren Automotive Ltd; Woking; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Discretionary annual bonus

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Job summary

McLaren Automotive in Woking is seeking a Controls Engineer to ensure vehicle control systems, diagnostics, and software deployment meet the highest quality and production targets.

You will define, deploy, and improve robust control processes, own responses to complex vehicle and production issues, and lead cross‑functional resolution with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality to protect timing, cost and product integrity.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in automotive controls, diagnostics, and production environments.
• Proven ability to resolve complex vehicle and production issues using structured containment, root-cause analysis, and corrective action.

Responsibilities

• Define, deploy, and improve robust controls and diagnostic processes that protect vehicle build quality, product conformity, and production efficiency.
• Own the technical response to complex vehicle, electrical, software, diagnostic, commissioning, and production-process issues from containment through corrective action.
• Monitor adherence to approved manufacturing processes, control plans, diagnostic sequences, software releases, coding standards, and escalation procedures; address deviations before they affect quality or production.
• Use structured problem-solving methods to analyse defects and process failures, establish root cause, define containment and recovery actions, and verify corrective-action effectiveness.
• Provide hands-on technical support for End-of-Line testing, software download, coding, commissioning, traceability, fault diagnosis, rework, and vehicle release, ensuring issues are resolved safely.
• Lead cross-functional issue-resolution activities, coordinate Engineering and supplier support, and escalate risks to protect programme timing, quality, cost, and production output.

Skills

Vehicle controls

CAN/CAN FD/UDS

EV/HEV architecture

High-Voltage safety

Diagnostics

Software deployment

Root-cause analysis

Cross-functional leadership

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Multimeters

Diagnostics software

Job description

What to Expect

Reporting directly to the Senior Controls Engineer, the Controls Engineer is responsible for ensuring that vehicle control systems, manufacturing processes, diagnostic capability, and software deployment activities consistently deliver the required levels of product quality, process compliance, and production performance.

The role provides technical support for the investigation, containment, root-cause analysis, and permanent resolution of complex vehicle and production-process issues. It ensures controls-related requirements are translated into robust, repeatable, controlled, and auditable manufacturing solutions.

Working closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, the role protects product conformity and supports vehicle programmes through VP, PP, SOP, and series production.

What You'll Do

Core Responsibilities

Define, deploy, and continuously improve robust controls and diagnostic processes that protect vehicle build quality, product conformity, and production efficiency.

Own the technical response to complex vehicle, electrical, software, diagnostic, commissioning, and production-process issues from initial containment through verified permanent corrective action.

Monitor adherence to approved manufacturing processes, control plans, diagnostic sequences, software releases, coding standards, configuration rules, and escalation procedures; address deviations before they affect vehicle quality or production continuity.

Use structured problem-solving methods to analyse defects and process failures, establish root cause, define containment and recovery actions, and verify corrective-action effectiveness through objective evidence.

Provide hands‑on technical support for End‑of‑Line testing, software download, coding, commissioning, traceability, fault diagnosis, rework, and vehicle release, ensuring issues are resolved safely and without compromising process integrity.

Lead cross‑functional issue‑resolution activities, coordinate Engineering and supplier support, and escalate technical risks, recurring defects, process non‑conformities, and recovery requirements to protect programme timing, quality, cost, and production output.

Technical Expertise

• Vehicle electrical and electronic control systems and network architectures.
• CAN, CAN FD, Automotive Ethernet, UDS, and DoIP diagnostics.
• Electric and hybrid vehicle architectures, including high-voltage batteries, battery management systems, inverters, electric drive motors, DC/DC converters, on-board chargers, charging systems, and thermal-management systems.
• Safe working on electric and hybrid vehicles, including high-voltage hazard identification, risk assessment, use of appropriate personal protective equipment and insulated tooling, controlled isolation, lock-out/tag-out, proving dead, and reinstatement in accordance with authorised procedures.
• Use of electrical test equipment, including digital multimeters, insulation-resistance testers, current clamps, oscilloscopes, and manufacturer-approved diagnostic equipment, with the ability to interpret wiring diagrams, circuit data, and measured results.
• Diagnosis of high-voltage interlock, isolation, charging, battery, inverter, electric-drive, low-voltage supply, communication, and thermal-management faults using safe and systematic test methods.
• Inspection and assessment of high-voltage cables, connectors, contactors, service disconnects, charging interfaces, cooling circuits, bonding, and protective components, including accurate recording and escalation of safety-related defects.
• End‑of‑Line testing, software download, coding, configuration, commissioning, and traceability.
• Manufacturing controls, production test systems, vehicle fault diagnosis, and rework processes.
• Structured problem solving, root-cause analysis, containment, corrective action, and verification.
• Process governance, PFMEA, Control Plans, standardised work, change control, and configuration management.
• Product quality, process capability, defect prevention, cybersecurity, and production-readiness assurance.

What You'll Bring

Experience

Significant experience in automotive controls, electrical and electronic systems, manufacturing diagnostics, product quality, process engineering, systems integration, or vehicle software deployment.

Proven ability to resolve complex vehicle and production issues using structured containment, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and effectiveness verification.

Experience establishing and assuring adherence to controlled manufacturing processes, including requirements, validation, PFMEA, Control Plans, release governance, and production-readiness evidence.

High-performance, premium, or low-volume automotive manufacturing experience is desirable.

Personal Attributes

Quality-focused, analytical, resilient, and highly attentive to detail, with the confidence to challenge process deviations and drive issues to closure.

Proactive and pragmatic, with strong technical leadership, structured problem-solving, and cross-functional stakeholder communication skills.

Calm under pressure and committed to process discipline, objective decision-making, product integrity, and operational excellence.

Success Measures

Success will be measured by:

• Reduction in controls-related vehicle defects, repeat concerns, production disruptions, and avoidable rework.
• Demonstrated adherence to approved processes, diagnostic sequences, software and configuration controls, and vehicle release requirements.
• Timely containment and permanent resolution of vehicle and production-process issues, supported by verified root cause and corrective-action evidence.
• On-time delivery of capable, reliable, compliant, and production-ready controls solutions across VP, PP, SOP, and series production.

What We'll Do for You

We offer a wide - ranging benefits package, which includes:

• Structured career development framework
• 25 days' holiday, plus bank holiday. Annual buy & sell up to five days
• Enhanced company pension scheme
• Discretionary annual bonus award
• Private medical insurance and health cash plan
• Life assurance benefit
• Ability to apply for a sabbatical of up to one year after only two years' service
• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
• Generous parental leave policies
• A range of wellbeing initiatives, such as employee assistance programme and free financial & mortgage advice

Who Are We?

No restraints. No limitations. We don't simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars.

It takes a community to do what we do. A diverse group of people with many areas of expertise, united by their passion to deliver visionary products and set new benchmarks.

McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special. Join us on our journey.