Smart Manufacturing Software Engineer (KTP Associate)

UAG; England; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Essex, in partnership with Howard Bros Joinery, offers an exciting KTP opportunity for a graduate to modernise software capabilities and develop a single source digital platform for a traditional joinery firm.

The role includes validating software platforms, redesigning workflows, building interoperable systems, automating reporting, and producing training materials to support sustainable digital adoption across the business.

Responsibilities

• Validating that the business uses industry‑efficient software platforms and obtaining KTP verification that the starting point is optimal.
• Redesigning and streamlining workflows across disparate platforms and exploring AI integration.
• Delivering robust interoperability, automated reporting and database restructuring using digital engineering knowledge.
• Balancing rapid development with business demands in a live manufacturing environment.
• Managing parallel workstreams (database redesign, automation tooling, interoperability utilities and training development).
• Collaborating with teams and stakeholders, communicating technical concepts to support adoption of new processes.

Job description

KTP

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are a unique UK-wide activity that help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity by making better use of the knowledge, technology and skills within universities, colleges and research organisations. Further information is available at: https://iuk-ktp.org.uk/

The Project

The University of Essex in partnership with Howard Bros Joinery offers an exciting opportunity to a graduate with the relevant skills and knowledge to modernise the software capabilities for a traditional joinery firm by developing a 'single source' digital platform that increases throughput, reduces errors, eliminates manual processes and establishes scalable data, training and validation frameworks, enabling greater efficiency, reliability and future digital service opportunities.

Duties of the Post

The duties of the post will include:

• Validating that the business is using the most industry efficient software platforms for the operations processes and obtain KTP verification that our starting point is optimal.
• Redesigning and streamlining workflows across a landscape of disparate platforms, while addressing long‑standing issues such as manual data transfer, inconsistent validation and user‑driven variability. The opportunity to integrate AI within the workflows should be reviewed.
• Delivering robust interoperability, automated reporting and database restructuring using advanced digital engineering knowledge and research‑informed problem‑
• Balancing rapid development activity with ongoing business demands, while working within tight capacity and limited opportunities to pause production for testing.
• Managing parallel workstreams (database redesign, automation tooling, interoperability utilities and training development) within a live manufacturing environment.
• Working collaboratively with established teams and stakeholders, using high-quality technical communication to support adoption of new digital processes and working practices.
• Reducing reliance on tacit knowledge, and embedding new digital behaviours across design, production and site teams.
• Supporting project management activities, including technical planning, risk identification, progress monitoring, structured rollout planning and reporting.
• Preparing technical documentation, user guidance and training materials to support long‑term knowledge transfer and sustainable adoption of the developed solutions within the business.
• Support the delivery of the technical documentation, user guidance and training materials to the wider team ensuring standard operating procedures are aligned between the platforms.
• Lead the expansion, standardisation and optimisation of Howard Brothers’ iMOS digital manufacturing environment, including product/part libraries, materials, metadata, reusable templates and rule-based configuration logic.
• Design and develop automated verification and validation tools to check drawings, part data, machining information, Bills of Materials, CNC outputs and other manufacturing data before release to production.

These duties are a guide to the work that the post holder will initially be required to undertake. They may be changed from time to time to meet changing circumstances.

£41,000 per annum