Team Lead - Mechanical

Xaar PLC; Huntingdon; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Xaar PLC in Huntingdon is seeking a Senior Mechanical Team Lead to drive specification, design, verification and introduction of new mechanical components for printhead and system development. You will lead a small agile team, coordinating with PMs, Tech Leads and Product Managers to deliver high-quality outputs.

The role requires hands-on mechanical design experience, strong leadership, and the ability to travel as needed to support product introduction and customer integrations.

Qualifications

• Degree in STEM field (Engineering, Maths, Physics, etc.).
• Experience leading mechanical teams in an R&D environment.
• At least 10 years’ experience in inkjet or similar industrial application.
• Experience taking new product developments through full lifecycle.
• Strong SolidWorks CAD knowledge.
• Hands-on design of printheads or inkjet printers.
• Understanding of PZT actuators design and manufacture.

Responsibilities

• Lead and structure the Mechanical team with talent pipelines and succession plans.
• Assess capability and capacity to meet quality, cost and delivery targets.
• Foster a culture aligned with department and company values.
• Collaborate with other team leads to enable cross-functional work.
• Support NPD projects with appropriate resources and timelines.
• Own and manage the Mechanical team's budget and priorities.
• Lead design reviews, verification, and manufacturing introduction of new tech.
• Provide technical support for customer integration projects.

Skills

Leadership

Inkjet experience

Mechanical design

SolidWorks CAD

Education

Degree in STEM (Engineering/Math/Physics)

Tools

SolidWorks CAD

Job description

Xaar has defined 5 values which are vital to our business; each represents an area of essential importance to us. Their existence is intended to guide difficult decisions and shape behaviour.

• Everything with Passion – we care about our technology, products, partners and each other
• Innovative – we always strive to constantly improve
• Integrity – we deliver on our promises
• Creative – we push the boundaries of what’s possible
• Collaborative – everyone is a partner; we help each other freely and willingly

Purpose of Role:

The purpose of this role is to lead the Mechanical team through the specification, design, verification and introduction into manufacturing of new and existing components, sub-systems, systems and technologies required for Printhead & Print systems development.

This is a small, agile team, whose work requires prioritisation and coordination in conjunction with Project Managers, Technical Leads and Product Managers.

As team lead, will be responsible for developing the capability and capacity of the team, including the people, skills, tools, processes and equipment necessary to achieve high output, against agreed targets for quality, cost and delivery.

As team lead, will be responsible for the line management of the Mechanical team.

As individual contributor, will lead, coordinate, and contribute to the specification, design, verification and introduction of new mechanical developments. This is a hands‑on role that requires an understanding of best practice mechanical design, including acoustic, fluidic and mechanical considerations, as well as an ability to collaborate across different areas of the business to ensure successful new product introduction.

Reporting Relationships:

Reports to: Director of Development

Line management responsibility: Mechanical team (currently 6 people).

Key Accountabilities:

Ensure the Mechanical team is structured for success with a talent pipeline and suitable succession plans.

Continually assess the capability and capacity of the team to achieve high output, against agreed targets for quality, cost and delivery.

Develop a positive culture in line with Department, Group and Company values and behaviours.

Build relationships with all other team leads to help create a collaborative working environment.

Support all NPD projects in line with the product roadmap by ensuring appropriate resource is available as and when required.

Own and manage the budget for the Mechanical team.

Lead and manage all new product development activities for the team. Activities will include creating product/design specifications, hands‑on fluidic and mechanical design, holding concept and design reviews, performing sub‑system testing and design verification, introducing new products into manufacturing.

Ensure adherence to the PLM process and proactively drive process changes to improve efficiency, quality, and time‑to‑market during printhead development.

Ensure the successful introduction of new technologies into our printheads by tracking and helping to resolve all technical & process issues.

Identify and capture key risks where new product introductions will stress current processes or require new processes.

Technical support of customers’ integration projects. Systems integration, design consultancy and onsite technical training.

Balancing the responsibilities of a team lead and line manager with the individual contribution of a principal engineer.

Structuring the team for success. Developing the capability and capacity of the team.

Creating an environment to match the desired culture – professional, energetic, innovative, vibrant.

Foster collaboration between all functional teams.

Developing a right‑first‑time approach using a Design for Manufacturing methodology.

Key Internal Relationships:

Director of Development

Team Leads (Applications Development, Inks & Materials, Product Test, Software & Electronics).

Mechanical Team.

Project Managers.

Technical Leads.

Purchasing/Logistics.

NPI/Manufacturing.

Operations Quality Manager.

Person Specification:

Intelligent, personable, team player, practical, pragmatic. Able to work as part of a close team, not afraid of taking risks, challenging decisions, sharing information and communicating to colleagues.

Comfortable leading a small agile team where their contribution, energy, enthusiasm and drive to deliver high quality will be critical.

Confident communicator, able to adjust their style when explaining complex technical issues to peers, managers, customers etc.

Influential with peers, able to lead technical discussions, make decisions and deliver results.

Keen to build technical relationships with customers and/or partners; able to travel internationally when required.

Ability to investigate and analyse complex systems in a methodical way. Able to debug a system from the printhead through to a printing application as required.

Dynamic, able to react to changing situations.

Methodical, logical and process orientated.

Resilient, manage conflicting needs and challenging problems.

Good organisational skills, able to plan, prioritise tasks and co‑ordinate with the work of others.

Good analytical and problem‑solving ability, capable of assessing technologies and products using a variety of methods.

Proactive approach to work, identifying tasks and resolving issues.

Attention to detail, and good observational skills.

Ability to work effectively individually and in a team environment.

Experience of:

Degree qualified in a STEM subject (Engineering, Maths, Physics, etc.). (Essential)

Leading/managing mechanical teams in an R&D environment. (Essential)

At least 10 years’ experience in inkjet or similar industrial application. (Essential)

Experience of taking new product developments through the full development life cycle. (Essential)

Strong working knowledge of Solidworks CAD. (Essential)

Design of printheads or inkjet printers in a hands‑on engineering capacity. (Preferable)

Understanding of how PZT actuators are designed and manufactured. (Preferable)