Mechanical Design Manager

Mechanical Design Manager - Special Purpose Machinery & Automation

📍 Basildon, Essex (On-site, 5 days per week)

💷 £50,000 - £60,000 per year (DOE)

🕒 Full-time | Permanent

A well-established and growing specialist in special purpose machinery and automation is looking to appoint a Mechanical Design Manager at their Basildon site. This is a key leadership role within the engineering function, responsible for managing and developing a team of 4-5 Mechanical Design Engineers, driving high-quality output across multiple machine-build projects.

This role is 100% on-site (Monday to Friday) with no hybrid working available, due to the hands‑on nature of the projects and close collaboration required with manufacturing and assembly.

• Lead, mentor and develop a team of 4-5 Mechanical Design Engineers
• Manage workload planning, prioritisation and delivery across multiple projects
• Oversee the full mechanical design lifecycle from concept through to manufacture and commissioning
• Ensure mechanical designs meet functional, safety and manufacturing requirements
• Work closely with Project Managers, Electrical Design, Manufacturing, Assembly and Purchasing
• Drive best practice in design standards, documentation, BOM accuracy and revision control
• Support continuous improvement across design tools, processes and engineering outputs
• Participate in design reviews and provide technical sign‑off where required

We’re looking for a strong mechanical design leader with hands‑on technical experience in automation and machinery design.

• Proven experience managing or leading a mechanical design team (or stepping up into management)
• Strong mechanical design background within special purpose machinery, automation, robotics, conveyors or industrial equipment
• Ability to drive output and quality across a fast‑paced engineering environment
• Confident communicator with strong organisational and leadership skills

• Experience using Autodesk Inventor
• Experience with Vault / PDM / revision control systems
• Knowledge of design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA)
• Experience working closely with shop floor, build and commissioning teams
• ✅ Other CAD package experience will be considered (Solid Works, Creo, Catia, etc.), but Inventor/Vault exposure is a strong advantage