Senior Manager DGSS

Smiths Group; Slough; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

John Crane, part of Smiths Group, seeks a Global Engineering Manager for Gas Seal Support Systems to lead the worldwide engineering team and oversee end-to-end delivery from RFQ to project execution.

The role requires extensive experience in gas seal systems, strategic leadership, and a track record of driving standardisation and continuous improvement across multiple regions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Chemical or Instrumentation Engineering.
• 20+ years engineering experience with at least 5+ years in leadership roles.
• Strong expertise in gas seal systems and process industries (oil & gas, chemical, pharma, turbomachinery).

Responsibilities

• Lead the global Gas Seal Support Systems (GSS) Engineering function across pre-order and post-order activities.
• Own the end-to-end engineering lifecycle from RFQ through design, customer approval, manufacturing release, and final documentation.
• Manage and develop a global team of Engineering Managers, Supervisors, Team Leaders, and Engineers.
• Drive engineering excellence, productivity improvements, and business growth through standardisation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with Sales, Operations, Project Management, Procurement, and Manufacturing teams to align priorities and service delivery requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Global teams

Engineering management

Gas seal systems

End-to-end engineering

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Mechanical / Chemical / Instrumentation Engineering

Tools

API 614 & 692 knowledge

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, bearings, 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

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Global Engineering Manager - Gas Seal Support Systems (GSS) to lead our global engineering organization across both pre-order and post-order engineering activities. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for the end-to-end engineering delivery of Dry Gas Seal Support Systems, from initial customer enquiry and proposal development through to final design release and project execution. The successful candidate will drive engineering excellence, standardisation, innovation, and operational performance while leading a global team of engineering managers, supervisors, and engineers. Working closely with Sales, Operations, Projects, Procurement, and customers worldwide, you will be instrumental in delivering high-quality engineering solutions that support business growth and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the global Gas Seal Support Systems (GSS) Engineering function across pre-order and post-order activities.
• Own the end-to-end engineering lifecycle from RFQ through design, customer approval, manufacturing release, and final documentation.
• Manage and develop a global team of Engineering Managers, Supervisors, Team Leaders, and Engineers.
• Drive engineering excellence, productivity improvements, and business growth through standardisation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Serve as the technical Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Gas Seal Support Systems.
• Ensure engineering deliverables, including drawings, datasheets, calculations, and technical documentation, are completed accurately and on time.
• Accountable for engineering performance metrics, including On-Time Delivery (OTD), quality, productivity, and cycle time improvement.
• Lead capacity planning, workload management, resource allocation, and project scheduling activities.
• Build organisational capability through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and talent development.
• Collaborate with Sales, Operations, Project Management, Procurement, and Manufacturing teams to align priorities and service delivery requirements.
• Drive engineering process standardisation, automation initiatives, and adoption of global best practices.
• Manage engineering tools and systems, ensuring effective implementation and utilisation across the organisation.
• Work closely with regional teams and key customers to ensure technical alignment and successful project execution.
• Support product development, research and development (R&D), new product development (NPD), and cost optimisation initiatives.
• Lead continuous improvement activities and execute strategic Priority Action Lists (PALs).
• Address and resolve technical challenges and customer issues while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
• Support site audits and customer visits as required.
• Ensure compliance with customer specifications, company policies, ISO standards, and Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical / Chemical / Instrumentation Engineering.20+ years engineering experience with at least 5+ years in leadership roles.Strong expertise in gas seal systems and process industries (oil & gas, chemical, pharma, turbomachinery).Strong understanding of engineering processes, business drivers, and industry standards.Proven leadership and team management capability.Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.Ability to manage global teams and work in a multi-region environment.
• Good Knowledge of API 614 & 692 (preferred)
• Strong understanding of instrumentation and system integration.
• Familiarity with engineering tools / project management systems.
• Knowledge of Dry gas seal panel & Its component and instrumentation.
• Technical Alignment
• Project Management

People Skills

• Good Team Player
• Able to create a team dynamic and motivate people

Leadership Behaviours:

• Innovates for impact
• Take accountability & ownership
• Delivers results at pace
• Leads inclusivity and empowers
• Develops self and others
• Lives Smiths values
• Sets vision to inspire

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 recognize 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 color, 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.