SMT Engineering Manager

Sony; Pencoed; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

Sony UK Technology Centre in South Wales seeks an SMT Engineering Manager to lead the Shift Engineering Team, drive TPM, and improve machine availability across production lines. The role focuses on developing technical skills, reducing downtime, and delivering quality through structured problem solving.

You will collaborate with Production, Quality, and NMI managers to sustain improvements and mentor engineers and technicians in a busy, day-shift environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum HNC in engineering; strong technical baseline.
• Experience leading a team in electrical/mechanical engineering.
• Excellent communication to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven problem-solving capabilities with structured methods.
• DMAIC knowledge is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the SMT Shift Engineering Team, ensuring effective performance and alignment with production objectives.
• Support technical development, skills enhancement and career progression of team members.
• Oversee maintenance, reliability and performance of SMT production machinery; implement TPM plans.
• Manage spare parts inventory and cost control.
• Monitor departmental budgets, including maintenance costs and resource use.
• Drive engineering activities focused on product and process quality with the Quality Manager.
• Lead structured problem-solving activities to identify root causes and deliver improvements.
• Prepare and communicate technical reports with performance data and recommendations.

Skills

Team leadership

Strong communication

Problem solving

Electrical & mechanical engineering

Education

HNC in engineering

Tools

DMAIC methodologies

Job description

Location: Pencoed, South Wales.

Shift Pattern: Days

Business Overview:

Sony UK Technology Centre is a division of Sony Europe Limited. We are the only manufacturing centre for Sony in Europe and have over 500 highly skilled team players who help create some of the most advanced technology on the global market. The heart of today's operation at Pencoed is centered on the manufacture of high technology Broadcast and Professional Cameras and Systems including the latest industry leading 4K technology. Alongside this we provide contract manufacturing solutions for multiple non-Sony branded businesses. This collaborative approach to contract manufacturing has produced many commercial successes over the years, including the best-selling British computer of all time, the Raspberry Pi. Further, we are the home of a Sony customer service and solutions centre, a Business Incubation Centre and much more.

Role Overview

At Sony UK Technology Centre, the Surface Mount (SMT) Department plays a key role in producing high-quality circuit boards for both Sony-branded products, such as our broadcast cameras, and third-party products, including the Raspberry Pi single-board computer.Our team strives to deliver innovative products and processes, with quality at the forefront of everything we do.

The SMT Engineering Manager role plays a key part in the SMT Department, leading a team of Engineers and Technicians. The role of the team is to maximise our machine availability and performance, while maintaining the highest quality levels. Key tasks to support this include TPM (Maintenance), structured approach to machine breakdowns, and regular monitoring of process data to drive improvement actions.

The role of the SMT Engineering Manager is to lead and support the team, who work in shift patterns to provide full coverage of the SMT Production lines. A critical part of the role is developing the team’s skills and capabilities, supporting each team member to fulfil their potential and contribute to the team’s success through training, mentoring and practical experience.

As a member of the SMT Operations Team, the SMT Engineering Manager will work closely with Production Managers, Quality Managers and NMI (New Model Introduction) Managers.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the SMT Shift Engineering Team, ensuring effective performance, collaboration and alignment with production objectives.
• Support the technical development, skills enhancement and career progression of team members, ensuring a culture of continuous improvement.
• Oversee the maintenance, reliability and performance of SMT production machinery and equipment, ensuring effective implementation and TPM plans.
• Manage spare parts inventory, ensuring optimal stock levels, availability of critical components and effective cost control.
• Monitor and control departmental budgets, including maintenance costs, scrap and resource utilisation.
• Drive engineering activities focused on product and process quality, working closely with the SMT Quality Manager to resolve issues and prevent recurrence.
• Lead and facilitate structured problem-solving activities, applying DMAIC methodologies to identify root causes, implement corrective actions and deliver sustainable improvements.
• Prepare, maintain and communicate clear, accurate technical reports, providing relevant performance data, analysis and recommendations to support informed decision-making.

Essential Criteria:

• Qualified to minimum HNC level in an engineering discipline
• Demonstrable experience in electrical and mechanical engineering
• Strong communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences
• Experience of leading a team
• Strong problem-solving skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of SMT processes and equipment
• Understanding of Technical Drawings and Specifications
• Understanding of risk assessment; a relevant NEBOSH or IOSH qualification would be an advantage
• Experience of using structured problem-solving tools/methods would be an advantage.
• Demonstrable experience of taking a methodical approach to delivering actions and achieving KPI targets