Manufacturing Engineer - NPI

Oxford Instruments plc; Severn Beach; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Private healthcare

Share Incentive Plan

Pension

Career development

Excellent work-life balance

Job summary

Oxford Instruments is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer (NPI) to lead the introduction of new products into production, ensuring scalable, cost‑effective processes while meeting top quality standards. You will bridge product development and manufacturing with cross‑functional teamwork across engineering, operations and supply chain.

The role requires strong technical capability, excellent communication, and project management skills, plus experience guiding NPI in electro‑mechanical environments

Qualifications

• Degree in Manufacturing Engineering or related field.
• Significant electro-mechanical manufacturing experience.
• Proven experience leading New Product Introduction (NPI) activities.
• Strong understanding of PFMEA, Control Plans and APQP.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings and BOMs.
• Excellent problem‑solving and cross‑functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead the industrialisation and scale-up of new and existing products.
• Define manufacturing processes, layouts, tooling, fixtures, jigs and equipment requirements.
• Act as key technical liaison between suppliers, production teams and engineering.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing documentation including work instructions, SOPs and routings.
• Support prototype, pilot and pre-production builds and drive lessons learned into readiness.
• Collaborate across Design Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain and Production.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Effective communication

Education

Manufacturing Engineering degree

Tools

Solid Edge

Job description

Are you a talented Manufacturing Engineer with a passion for bringing innovative products to life? Do you thrive in a high-tech manufacturing environment where engineering excellence, continuous improvement, and cutting-edge technology come together?

At Oxford Instruments, we’re looking for a Manufacturing Engineer (NPI) to play a pivotal role in transforming groundbreaking technologies into world-class products. This is a fantastic opportunity to join a globally recognised leader in scientific instrumentation and advanced technology, helping to deliver solutions that enable discoveries at the micro- and nano-scale across industries worldwide.

The Opportunity

As a Manufacturing Engineer, you will lead the introduction of new products into production, ensuring they are efficiently industrialised, scalable, cost-effective, and capable of meeting the highest quality standards. You’ll work at the heart of innovation, collaborating with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and Commercial teams to bridge the gap between product development and successful manufacturing.

What You’ll Be Doing

As our NPI Manufacturing Engineer, you will:

• Lead the industrialisation and scale-up of new and existing products.
• Define manufacturing processes, production layouts, tooling, fixtures, jigs, and equipment requirements.
• Act as the key technical liaison between suppliers, production teams, and engineering functions.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing documentation, including work instructions, SOPs, routings, and production processes.
• Support prototype, pilot, and pre-production builds, driving lessons learned into manufacturing readiness.
• Collaborate across Design Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Production to ensure manufacturability and operational excellence.
• Define cycle times, labour requirements, capacity planning, and line balancing activities.
• Drive effective problem-solving using structured methodologies such as 8D, A3, and Root Cause Analysis.
• Support product transfers from development into full-scale production and ensure successful ramp-up activities.
• Monitor performance metrics and identify opportunities for continuous improvement, cost reduction, and operational efficiency.

About You

We’re looking for an engineering professional who combines strong technical expertise with excellent communication and project management skills.

Essential Requirements

• HND or Degree qualified in Manufacturing Engineering or a related discipline.
• Significant experience within an electro-mechanical manufacturing or production engineering environment.
• Proven experience leading New Product Introduction (NPI) activities within a manufacturing setting.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, process validation, PFMEA, Control Plans, and APQP methodologies.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, Bills of Materials (BOMs), and technical specifications.
• Excellent problem-solving, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Experience producing technical documentation and presenting technical information clearly and effectively.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within high-technology, low-volume, high-complexity manufacturing environments.
• Knowledge of semiconductor, precision engineering, machining, fabrication, or advanced technology systems.
• Experience driving Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with CAD software, ideally Solid Edge.
• Postgraduate qualification in Manufacturing Engineering or a related discipline.

Why Join Oxford Instruments?

At Oxford Instruments, you’ll be part of a business that is pushing the boundaries of science and technology. Our products enable some of the world’s most exciting advances in research, healthcare, electronics, energy, and quantum technologies.

In return, we offer:

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual leave plus half-day Fridays
• Private healthcare
• Share Incentive Plan
• Pension and flexible benefits package
• Structured career development and learning opportunities
• Supportive and collaborative culture
• Excellent work-life balance

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and would ask you to get in touch if you are concerned about any barriers you feel you may be facing in your application process with us.

Note to recruitment agencies:

Oxford Instruments operates a Preferred Supplier List, and we do not accept unsolicited agency CVs. Please do not forward candidate details in response to this advert, or to any Oxford Instruments employees or other company locations. Oxford Instruments is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited CVs.