Manufacturing Excellence 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, 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.