Mechanical Project Engineer (Rail)

CIBSE Journal; Mansfield; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Company Benefits

Chartership support

Job summary

Certain Advantage in Mansfield is seeking a Senior Project Engineer (Rolling Stock / Rail Freight) to own the end-to-end engineering lifecycle of freight wagon projects from concept through manufacturing to handover. You will drive deliverables, manage changes, and advise on compliance and risk across functions.

The role emphasizes hands-on leadership, collaboration with manufacturing, and strong communication with stakeholders. Permanent role with solid benefits and growth potential.

Qualifications

• Senior Project Engineer with a solid mechanical engineering background.
• Experience in rail freight, rolling stock or similar heavy engineering.
• Strong project management with budgeting and delivery track record.
• Excellent communication and commercial awareness to influence stakeholders.
• Proactive, structured, delivery-focused mindset with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead the engineering lifecycle of freight wagon and rolling stock projects from concept to handover.
• Own technical deliverables and set engineering priorities to hit milestones.
• Manage engineering change, configuration control and technical risk.
• Collaborate across departments to align design, manufacture and customer outcomes.
• Support approvals, compiling evidence packs for vehicle compliance.
• Provide hands-on shop-floor support to resolve issues and implement changes.
• Mentor internal engineers and promote robust governance and continuous improvement.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Rail freight

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Job description

Senior Project Engineer (Rolling Stock / Rail Freight)

55,000 - 70,000 + Bonus + Company Benefits + Support towards Chartership

Mansfield

Certain Advantage is hiring for a Senior Project Engineer based Mansfield. This role is on a permanent basis.

Are you a Project Engineer with a strong mechanical engineering background and practical experience in rail or heavy manufacturing, looking to join a well-established manufacturer where you will lead high-impact projects and shape key engineering decisions?

Are you looking to take full ownership of project delivery from concept to handover, with a high degree of influence across design, manufacture, and customer outcomes?

This is an excellent opportunity to join a reputable business, established for over 100 years, and play a critical role in delivering complex, business-critical work streams, during an exciting growth period.

The Company:

We are working with a well-established rail engineering and manufacturing business, currently experiencing rapid and sustained growth after securing a large export deal. The company provides a complete service across concept design, manufacture, approval, and life-extension projects. Alongside rail wagons, they design and manufacture bespoke containers and specialist engineered products, varied and technically interesting work.

The Role:

This role is for a Senior Project Engineer who can integrate technical, commercial, schedule, and stakeholder requirements to successfully drive engineering projects forward.

Day to Day:

• Lead the engineering lifecycle of freight wagon and rolling stock projects from initial concept through to manufacture, verification, validation, and customer handover.
• Own technical deliverables and engineering priorities, driving project plans to hit programme milestones.
• Manage engineering change, configuration control, and technical risk, assessing any impact on compliance, manufacturability, and in-service performance.
• Collaborate closely across departments
• Support technical approvals, compiling the necessary evidence packs and engineering records for vehicle compliance.
• Provide hands-on support to manufacturing teams on the shop floor, resolving technical issues and implementing controlled changes efficiently.
• Mentor and guide internal engineers and designers, promoting robust engineering governance and continuous process improvement.

The Individual:

• Senior Project Engineer with a solid mechanical engineering background.
• Proven experience within rail freight, rolling stock, or a comparable heavy engineering environment.
• Strong project management capability, with a track record of coordinating resources, managing budgets, and driving delivery against deadlines.
• Excellent communication and commercial awareness, with the confidence to influence senior stakeholders and lead cross-functional decision-making.
• Proactive, structured, and delivery-focused mindset with strong attention to detail.