Manufacturing Engineer

SF Partners; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

SF Partners in Birmingham is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to join early and build a scalable production operation. You will own the documentation, tooling, quality gates and production processes from incoming components to final dispatch.

You will work closely with engineering, assembly, quality and suppliers to turn an engineering build into repeatable, controlled manufacturing, with a focus on quality, traceability and throughput as volumes grow.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in manufacturing or quality engineering within a physical product environment.
• Experience developing manufacturing processes and standard work.
• Understanding of ISO 9001:2015, IPC standards or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop manufacturing processes and standard work to enable scale.
• Create route cards, work instructions, and staged assembly processes.
• Define jigs, fixtures and tooling for repeatable assembly and quality gates at final dispatch.
• Ensure full product traceability from components to shipment.
• Support root-cause analysis and corrective actions to improve yield and throughput.

Skills

Manufacturing process design

Root-cause analysis

MRP/ERP scheduling

Lean manufacturing

Quality control

Education

HNC/HND or degree in engineering/manufacturing

Tools

MRPeasy

Job description

This isn't an opportunity to simply maintain an established production process.

It's an opportunity to help build one.

We are partnering with an exciting, entrepreneurial UK technology start-up developing an innovative, AI-enabled consumer product combining advanced mechanical, electrical and smart technology.

Backed by significant US investment, the business is moving from product development into production, international growth and scale.

We're looking for a Manufacturing Engineer who wants to join early, take ownership and help create a production operation capable of scaling quickly without compromising quality.

The opportunity

You'll help turn the product from an engineering build into a repeatable, controlled and scalable manufacturing process.

You'll own the documentation, tooling, quality gates and production processes that allow every unit to be built, tested and shipped to the same high standard.

You'll work closely with engineering, assembly, quality and suppliers, with visibility from incoming components through to final dispatch.

What you'll own

• Route cards, work instructions and staged assembly processes
• Jigs, fixtures and tooling to make assembly repeatable
• Incoming inspection and the non-conformance process
• Corrective actions and root-cause resolution
• The quality gate at final dispatch
• Full product traceability from components through to shipment
• Production processes that improve as volumes increase

Who we're looking for

You'll ideally have 5+ years' experience in manufacturing or quality engineering within a physical product environment.

You'll bring:

• Experience developing manufacturing processes and standard work
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause capability
• Experience with MRP/ERP production scheduling and material flow - MRPeasy experience would be useful
• Understanding of gas-circuit assembly, sealing and leak testing
• Experience improving production quality, yield and throughput
• A practical, hands-on approach to manufacturing engineering
• An HNC, HND or degree in engineering/manufacturing, or equivalent practical experience, is preferred.

The qualifications and years above are a guide, not a gate. Exceptional candidates who can demonstrate the same level of ability will always be considered.

What you'll know

You'll ideally understand:

• End-of-line electrical, gas pressure/leak, flame and ignition testing
• Per-unit calibration and firmware-flashing stations
• Using throughput, yield and scrap data to improve first-pass yield
• Structured root-cause methods such as 5-Why and 8D
• LEAN and standard-work principles in a hands-on assembly environment
• Using AI tools to improve work instructions, analysis and production records
• Experience with ISO 9001:2015, IPC-A-610, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or product certification/type-test regimes such as CSA, UL or CE would be advantageous.

The person behind the experience

We're looking for someone who wants to join early and help build something.

You'll be comfortable in a fast-moving environment where processes are still being developed.

You'll take ownership, spot problems before they become bigger issues and use data and first-principles thinking to improve the way things are made.

You'll be practical, organised and comfortable working directly with people on the production floor.

Most importantly, you'll care about building a process that is safe, repeatable, efficient and capable of scaling