Technical Specialist - Casting

Manufacturing Technology Centre; Coventry; Hybrid; GBP 62,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

An advanced manufacturing organization in Coventry seeks a Technical Specialist to lead projects and enhance manufacturing operations. Responsibilities include owning large client projects, implementing best practices in casting, and ensuring technology adoption. Ideal candidates possess a key engineering or business degree and experience in the manufacturing sector, with strong skills in stakeholder management and project delivery.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

2x pension contribution

Electric lease car scheme

Cycle to work scheme

20 days holiday plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• Experience in the manufacturing sector is essential as a Senior Engineering or Leadership role.
• Practical experience in a foundry environment with casting processes and equipment.
• Ability to conceptualise new approaches and develop solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead large projects with manufacturing clients, ensuring customer requirements are met.
• Manage stakeholder involvement for MTC Products & Services programs.
• Deliver work packages that prepare the business for technology insertion.

Skills

Strong knowledge in casting methodologies

Hands-on experience in establishing and commissioning new casting and forging lines

Business/manufacturing improvement techniques

Strong analytical skills

Excellent decision-making capability

Education

Good Engineering or Business degree

Tools

Microsoft Office 365 tools

Job description

Job Title: Technical Specialist - Casting
Location: Coventry
Job Type: Permanent
Working hours: 36 Hours per week (Fully Flexible Working Week and Hybrid working options available)
Salary: £62,000 - £72,000 DOE per annum
Benefits: Private medical insurance, 2x pension contribution, electric lease car scheme, cycle to work scheme, 20 days holiday (plus bank holidays) and more.

The role

With engagements (projects) across all technology departments and industrial sectors within the MTC, the role of the Technical Specialist is to work with manufacturing clients using the MTC structured engagement process, to define the current state of manufacturing operations and business performance. Use of relevant assessment and mapping tools, to capture opportunities for technology insertion to support the business growth strategy taking the customer through the technology adoption journey from start to finish.

As a Technical Specialist, you will carry influence and authority in the organisation. Clear reporting lines are in place, and you will be supported by your Team Leader. Autonomy is at the heart of all things at the MTC, as such you are expected to self-govern, though this is not without a proportional degree of oversight.

Undertake innovative Engineering research work focused primarily on progressing the technology/manufacturing readiness levels typically starting at TRL7/MRL5 to full industrial readiness, and able to demonstrate excellence in industrial project delivery.

Main Responsibilities

• Leading large (>800 hrs) projects with manufacturing clients at their site(s) and remotely; taking ownership to ensure work meets customer requirements, is delivered within agreed budgets and timescales.
• Deliver MTC Products & Services programs: manage stakeholders.
• Manage your team to identify, explore and share relevant information succinctly.
• Ensure a coordinated scoping out of potential opportunities, from a relevant range of disciplines, for the deployment of manufacturing best practice and technology application; include planning for and delivering workshops/sprints, facilitating both MTC & client resources in support of project deliverables.
• Through MTC delivery methods processes, evaluating opportunities to define work packages with clear value propositions.
• Deliver work packages from the resulting Transformation Roadmap which prepare the business for technology insertion to include: manufacturing best practice; defining capability enhancement; business process re‑engineering for innovation; coaching and mentoring for culture change and leadership; supply chain assessments and development/upscaling.
• Train, be approved and function effectively as a Technical Governor on nominated projects.
• Contribute to the MTC’s ongoing expectations for innovation and product development, i.e. Internal Major Projects (IMPs).
• Support the Technology Groups in work packages to develop the technology solutions.
• [Large Programme Specific] Where required, the role may take additional responsibility to support the leadership, and carrying out of, a specific functional role within a Technology function or large program of work within the MTC’s Technology Group or Industrial Sectors.

Person Specification

Essential Skills/Qualifications/Experience/Attributes

• Good Engineering or Business degree and/or equivalent engineering qualifications.
• Experience in the manufacturing sector is essential either as a Senior Engineering, Leadership role or a Manufacturing Consultant.
• Strong knowledge in casting methodologies (e.g. sand, die, investment etc.) and associated metallurgical principles.
• Practical experience in a foundry environment with hands‑on knowledge of casting processes and equipment including mould/core preparation and assembly.
• Hands‑on experience in establishing and commissioning new casting and forging production lines.
• Previous experience in heat treatment operations is essential, including furnace operation, temperature control (e.g. AMS2570), and atmosphere control.
• Background in materials engineering.
• Business/manufacturing improvement techniques e.g. value stream mapping, process mapping, lean techniques.
• Manufacturing operational efficiency improvement methods e.g. flow and layout.
• Business process re‑engineering for innovation.
• Demonstrates and maintains a history of learning and personal development.
• A persuasive personality, able to explain technical and manufacturing method concepts to varying audiences.
• Well‑developed problem‑solving abilities (using proven methodologies) and strong analytical skills.
• Demonstrable ability to conceptualise new/alternative approaches, develop a programme of work to satisfy/meet a need(s) and package to form a robust solution/countermeasure.
• Ability to “think out of the box”, identify and resolve issues using a strongly analytical approach and challenge the status quo.
• High level stakeholder management, both internally and externally, demonstrating a high degree of credibility and integrity in a customer‑facing role.
• Excellent decision‑making capability, able to manage multiple concurrent tasks and prioritise effectively.
• Independent and driven self‑starter and complet‑finisher.

Desirable Skills/Qualifications/Experience/Attributes

• Commercially and financially astute.
• Willing and able to hold and maintain security clearance at DV level.
• Performing well in a customer‑facing role.
• Able to absorb a wide range of developments in technology and see how these can add value to the industrial sector.
• Communicating technical information in a credible way, with a level of detail that is appropriate to the audience.
• Good computer literacy.
• Experience in the manufacturing sector is essential either as a Senior Engineering or Leadership role or a manufacturing consultant.
• Experience of manufacturing technology implementation projects is desirable.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills with technical information that is appropriate to the audience.
• Fully computer literate with Microsoft Office 365 tools.

Communications

The Technical Specialist, Business Transformation role is critical in leading and guiding project stakeholders i.e. the customer, 3rd party specialist technology partners and MTC resources in defining and deploying technology associated with industrial projects.

The Technical Specialist must be articulate and demonstrate competent communication and presentation skills and be comfortable working at all levels in a business from operators to executive teams.

Innovation

The Technical Specialist will perform a key role in identifying opportunities for application of manufacturing best practice, processes, methodologies and technologies for the solution of industrial problems.

Proposal of and leading new capability development projects that align with the Department, Technology Theme, and overall MTC strategy, and able to explore different routes for project funding (internal, industrial, or CR&D funding).

Leading the horizon scanning of technologies and new approaches to solving industrial problems across a range of industrial sectors.

The role holder is expected to demonstrate highly developed structured problem‑solving skills and apply these to complex, multi‑dimensional problems.

Additionally engineering disciplines including manufacturing systems, mechanical, electrical and electronics, production, chemical, biochemical, civil, materials and metallurgy, are all areas of interest.

Interview Process

Once you submit your application, this will be passed on to our Talent Acquisition team for review. If you are successfully shortlisted, the next steps will be a 2‑stage interview process and a technical test (if applicable for your role).

Reference and Security Checks

All employment offers will be subject to us obtaining satisfactory employment references. As part of your role, you will be required to undergo an appropriate level of clearance.