Manufacturing Engineer

Smiths Group; Slough; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission-critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries, delivering production excellence and continuous improvement across global sites.

The Operational & Production Support role focuses on standard work, process control, and data-driven improvements on the shop floor, with opportunities to lead RCA, CapEx projects and TPM activities. A STEM degree and Lean Six Sigma are preferred for advancing improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM subject (engineering, physics, mathematics, etc.).
• Demonstrated success in leading and implementing continuous improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with operational / shop floor best practices and performance standards.
• Data-driven approach to identify root causes and drive improvements.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot and resolve real-time production issues.
• Decision making ability and good influencing / team working skills.
• Time management and organisational skills.
• A certification in Lean Six Sigma is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with operators and technicians to ensure standard work is followed and sustained.
• Monitor process controls, resolve production bottlenecks, and support root‑cause analysis.
• Provide hands‑on shop floor support for daily issues in assembly, test, and machining areas.
• Improve OEE and area KPI performance across production departments.
• Lead and facilitate root cause analysis (RCA) using structured methodologies (8D, 5 Whys, etc.).
• Identify recurring issues and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Drive practical, shopfloor‑based improvements (fixtures, tooling, layout, standard work).
• Support Lean activities such as 5S, waste elimination, visual management.
• Focus on quick‑win improvements that directly impact production output and stability.
• Lead manufacturing and CapEx projects from concept to implementation, ensuring delivery on time, on cost, and within scope.
• Prepare cost estimates, budgets, schedules, and project justifications.
• Support the introduction and integration of new manufacturing technologies and equipment.
• Work with maintenance to improve machine reliability and uptime.
• Support TPM‑style activities and preventative actions.
• Identify and implement improvements to tooling, fixtures, and equipment.
• Assist in resolving chronic equipment issues.
• Own and maintain process stability and capability within assigned areas.
• Ensure process controls are effective and adhered to.
• Support PFMEA, Control Plans, and risk mitigation activities.
• Validate and implement engineering changes with minimal disruption to production.
• Track and analyse production KPIs (OEE, RFT, downtime, yield).
• Use data to identify losses and improvement opportunities.
• Support basic reporting and visualisation (SAP, Power BI, Excel).
• Drive a data‑informed approach to decision making

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Data-driven

Root cause analysis

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in STEM

Tools

SAP

Power BI

Excel

Job description

John Crane, a business of Smiths Group, is a global leader in mission‑critical flow control solutions for energy and process industries that enable efficient and sustainable operations. Our products include mechanical seals and systems, couplings, filtration systems, and predictive digital monitoring technologies.

We have a global network of more than 200 sites in over 50 countries and employ more than 6,000 people worldwide. We partner with our customers to help them keep their operations safe, reduce downtime, improve efficiency, and meet the latest environmental standards.

John Crane is part of Smiths Group. For over 170 years, Smiths has been pioneering progress by engineering for a better future. We serve millions of people every year, helping to create a safer, more efficient, productive, and better‑connected world across four global markets: energy, security & defence, space & aerospace, and general industrial. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Smiths employs approximately 16,000 colleagues in over 50 countries.

Job Description

Operational & Production Support

• Work directly with operators and technicians to ensure standard work is followed and sustained
• Monitor process controls, resolve production bottlenecks, and support root‑cause analysis
• Provide hands‑on shop floor support for daily issues in assembly, test, and machining areas
• Improve OEE and area KPI performance across production departments

Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement

• Lead and facilitate root cause analysis (RCA) using structured methodologies (8D, 5 Whys, etc.)
• Identify recurring issues and implement permanent corrective actions
• Drive practical, shopfloor‑based improvements (fixtures, tooling, layout, standard work)
• Support Lean activities such as 5S, waste elimination, visual management
• Focus on quick‑win improvements that directly impact production output and stability

Project Management & CapEx

• Lead manufacturing and CapEx projects from concept to implementation, ensuring delivery on time, on cost, and within scope
• Prepare cost estimates, budgets, schedules, and project justifications
• Support the introduction and integration of new manufacturing technologies and equipment

Equipment & Process Reliability

• Work with maintenance to improve machine reliability and uptime
• Support TPM‑style activities and preventative actions
• Identify and implement improvements to tooling, fixtures, and equipment
• Assist in resolving chronic equipment issues

Process Ownership & Control

• Own and maintain process stability and capability within assigned areas
• Ensure process controls are effective and adhered to
• Support PFMEA, Control Plans, and risk mitigation activities
• Validate and implement engineering changes with minimal disruption to production

Data & Performance Tracking

• Track and analyse production KPIs (OEE, RFT, downtime, yield)
• Use data to identify losses and improvement opportunities
• Support basic reporting and visualisation (SAP, Power BI, Excel)

Drive a data‑informed approach to decision making

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM subject (engineering, physics, mathematics, economics, etc.)
• Demonstrated success in leading and implementing continuous improvement initiatives
• Familiarity with operational / shop floor best practices and performance standards
• The ability to take a data‑driven approach to identify root causes and drive improvements
• Proven ability to troubleshoot and resolve real‑time production issues
• Decision making ability and good influencing / team working skills
• Time management and organisational skills
• Self‑driven with good attention to detail
• A certification in Lean Six Sigma is preferred

Additional Information

With colleagues stretching across the globe, we are proud of our diversity. To foster inclusivity, we run employee resource groups (ERGs) to provide a safe space for employees to connect and support each other. Our cross‑business ERGs include Veterans, Pride Network, Black Employee Network, Women@Work Network, and Neurodiversity.

Across our company, we recognise excellence, culminating in the Smiths Excellence Awards, our annual celebration of the most extraordinary activities, people and projects that best showcase our strengths and help drive our business forward. We announce these on our annual Smiths Day, a global celebration of Smiths around our network.

Join us for a great career with competitive compensation and benefits, while helping engineer a better future.

We believe that different perspectives and backgrounds are what make a company flourish. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, economic status, disability, age or any other legally protected characteristics. We are proud to be an inclusive company with values grounded in equality and ethics, where we celebrate, support and embrace diversity.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Group or any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying directly through our career website.