Manufacturing Engineer - Paint (Series Production)

McLaren Group; Old Woking; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

McLaren Automotive seeks a Paint Manufacturing Engineer to support series production in Woking. You will help stabilize and improve paint processes, drive cost and efficiency improvements, and collaborate with Production, Quality and Maintenance teams.

Key areas include tooling readiness, process control, and continuous improvement activities to enhance first-time quality and throughput in a live production environment.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical or Automotive Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Live series production manufacturing engineering experience is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of PFMEA, process control and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Provide manufacturing engineering support to Paint series production areas, ensuring processes remain stable, capable, safe, and efficient.
• Investigate production, quality and process concerns using root-cause methods and implement corrective actions.
• Monitor process performance, identify trends and drive improvements for first-time quality, throughput and efficiency.
• Support Paint Shop readiness for daily production needs including tooling, fixtures, consumables, and standard operating conditions.

Skills

Manufacturing engineering

Root cause analysis

Structured problem solving

Lean manufacturing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Automotive Engineering

Tools

PFMEA

Control plans

8D problem solving

Jigs and fixtures maintenance

Job description

We are recruiting Paint Manufacturing Engineers for Series Production to join our Manufacturing Engineering department in Woking. In this role, you will support the day-to-day performance, stability, and continuous improvement of Paint processes within a live production environment, while contributing to quality, cost, delivery, safety, and efficiency objectives. You will work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Production, Maintenance, Materials, and Operations teams to resolve process issues, improve first-time quality, maintain process capability, and support robust series production performance.

What You’ll Do

• Provide manufacturing engineering support to Paint series production areas, ensuring processes remain stable, capable, safe, and efficient. Investigate and resolve production, quality, and process-related concerns, applying structured problem-solving methods to identify root cause and implement robust corrective actions. Monitor process performance, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement activities to improve first-time quality, throughput, rework levels, and operational efficiency. Support Paint Shop readiness for daily production requirements, including process availability, tooling, fixtures, jigs, consumables, and standard operating conditions. Maintain and improve paint application methods, process parameters, work instructions, and standardised ways of working. Lead or support PFMEA reviews, control plan updates, risk reduction activities, and process change management within the series production environment. Work with Production, Quality, and Maintenance teams to reduce downtime, improve repeatability, and ensure timely resolution of process issues.
• Support facility, layout, and capacity improvement activities to optimise flow, efficiency, and operational performance within Paint. Generate, analyse, and report Hours Per Car and other operational performance data to support efficiency tracking, cost reduction, and continuous improvement. Support part quality maturation, concern containment, escalation, and long-term corrective action to protect customer quality and production delivery.

What You’ll Bring

• You will ideally hold a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or a related discipline, or bring equivalent experience gained in a similar manufacturing engineering role.

Experience in one or more of the following areas would be advantageous:

• Manufacturing engineering support within a live series production environment.
• Paint application processes, process control, defect reduction, and quality improvement activities.
• Root cause analysis and structured problem-solving methods, such as 5 Why, Ishikawa, 8D, or similar approaches.
• PFMEA, control plans, process change control, standard operating procedures, and work instruction development.
• Specification, maintenance, and improvement of paint jigs, fixtures, tooling, and process equipment.
• Vehicle assembly processes, end-of-line vehicle processing, finishing, rework, or rectification environments.
• Continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, cost reduction, throughput improvement, and safe working practices within a manufacturing or production environment.

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.