Manufacturing Engineer

Kraken Technology Group Limited; Fareham; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Private Medical Insurance

Pension scheme with employer contrib.

Life assurance 3x salary

Cycle to Work Scheme

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Job summary

Kraken Works Limited is seeking a skilled Manufacturing Engineer to advance our marine technology production. You will lead MES integrations, optimise processes, and build real-time dashboards to drive efficiency and quality on the shop floor.

You will work within the Technical Product team, collaborating with Design and Operations to ensure manufacturability and readiness for new product introductions, while applying lean methods and best practices across complex assemblies.

Qualifications

• Degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field.
• Experience in complex, high-tech manufacturing environments (marine, aerospace, defence, automotive).
• Hands-on MES experience (Visual Factory a plus).
• Confidence with BOMs and MRP systems (e.g. 123insight).
• Strong lean manufacturing knowledge and continuous improvement practice.
• Experience in maritime, automotive, or aerospace environments.
• Exposure to digital cell manufacturing.
• Lean or Six Sigma certification.
• 3D CAD experience.
• Experience training teams or leading standardisation activities.

Responsibilities

• Own and continuously improve manufacturing processes for complex marine systems and assemblies.
• Bring MES to life by configuring workflows, digital instructions, and operator tools.
• Build dashboards and visibility tools for real-time performance.
• Connect MES, ERP/MRP, quality systems, and machinery for seamless production.
• Apply lean thinking to improve safety, quality, cost, and delivery.
• Analyse production with time studies and process balancing.
• Be the go-to person for MES troubleshooting and improvements.
• Collaborate with Production to solve problems quickly.
• Feed design reviews to ensure designs are manufacturable.
• Support new product introduction and readiness to manufacture from day one.
• Design and validate tooling, jigs, and fixtures to improve quality and repeatability.

Skills

MES expertise

Lean manufacturing

3D CAD

BOMs & MRP

Digital cell manufacturing

Visual Factory

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Manufacturing/Mechanical Engineering degree

Tools

123insight

Visual Factory

Job description

We are seeking a skilled Manufacturing Engineer with hands‑on experience in Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to support our advanced marine technology production environment. The successful candidate will drive manufacturing excellence through process optimisation, digital system integration, and the development of robust production workflows for high‑complexity, safety‑critical marine products.

The role sits within the Technical Product team, acting as a technical specialist to steer Design and Operations towards efficient, consistent production output in line with business objectives and product requirements.

Key responsibilities

• Own and continuously improve manufacturing processes for complex marine systems and assemblies
• Bring our MES environment to life — configuring workflows, digital instructions, and operator tools that actually work on the shopfloor
• Build dashboards and visibility tools so teams can understand performance in real time
• Connect systems together (MES, ERP/MRP, quality systems, machinery) to create a seamless production environment
• Apply lean thinking (5S, value stream mapping, waste reduction) to improve safety, quality, cost, and delivery
• Analyse and optimise production through time studies and process balancing
• Act as the go‑to person for MES — troubleshooting issues and driving improvements
• Work closely with Production to solve problems quickly and effectively
• Feed into design reviews, making sure what we design can actually be built well
• Support new product introduction and ensure we’re ready to manufacture from day one
• Design and validate tooling, jigs, and fixtures that improve quality and repeatability

Qualifications and experience

• A degree (or equivalent experience) in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
• Experience working in complex, high‑tech manufacturing environments (marine, aerospace, defence, automotive, or similar)
• Hands‑on experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) (Visual Factory is a plus)
• Confidence working with BOMs and MRP systems (e.g. 123insight)
• A strong understanding of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement in practice
• Experience in maritime, automotive, or aerospace environments
• Exposure to digital cell manufacturing
• Lean or Six Sigma certification
• 3D CAD experience
• Experience training teams or leading standardisation activities

Personal attributes

• You take ownership and see things through
• You’re comfortable working across teams and communicating clearly
• You balance pace with attention to detail
• You’re proactive — spotting problems early and solving them pragmatically
• You care about quality and take pride in getting things right

Working on advanced technology that has real‑world impact

Be part of a team that values engineering excellence and practical problem solving

Get hands‑on with modern manufacturing systems and digital tools

Opportunities to shape how we build, not just follow existing processes

A collaborative environment where your ideas are heard and acted on

Ongoing development and the chance to grow with the business

Benefits

• 25 days holiday per year, plus paid bank holiday
• After two years’ consecutive service, one additional day’s annual leave up to a maximum of five additional days annual leave
• Holiday buy/sell, up to five days per calendar year
• Flexi working, core hours 10:00 to 15:00, subject to departmental requirements
• Private Medical Insurance with optional family cover
• Pension scheme with a 5% employer contribution, there is no cap on the employee contribution level
• Life assurance 3x salary
• Group Income Protection 3x salary, subject to eligibility
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing mental health and wellbeing support
• Professional membership reimbursement

Eligibility and compliance

Due to the nature of our work many of our roles require a UK nationality and the ability to obtain a security clearance.

Applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment must meet the requirement of right to work in the UK and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information and will be subject to Government security checks.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Kraken Works Limited is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We are committed to maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination and offers equal opportunities to all.

Applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships.