Senior Design Engineer - Vehicle Body ​/ Transport Design

Job Profile for Senior Vehicle Body Design Engineer 47527 Senior Design Engineer
- Vehicle Body / Transport Design. Position:
Senior Design Engineer
- Vehicle Body / Transport Design.

Location:

Elland, West Yorkshire / Stoke‑on‑Trent, Staffordshire. Salary:
Up to £60,000 + 20% bonus. Working Arrangement:
Site based, with travel between sites.

Employment Type:

Permanent.

A Senior Design Engineer is required for our client, a leading UK vehicle body manufacturer with over 900 employees across 12 sites nationwide. This is a newly created senior‑level opportunity, providing technical leadership to a junior Design Engineer while taking responsibility for design activities across the Elland and Stoke‑on‑Trent manufacturing sites. The role will initially be based predominantly in Elland for approximately six months, before becoming more evenly split between Elland and Stoke‑on‑Trent.

Occasional travel to Milton Keynes and Bradford will also be required. The business specialises in commercial vehicle bodies and transport‑related products, with the Design team using Solid Works to produce designs and manufacturing drawings, including work around Volvo chassis drawings.

• Lead vehicle body and transport‑related design projects from concept through to manufacture
• Produce detailed 3D models and 2D manufacturing drawings using Solid Works
• Interpret chassis and vehicle manufacturer drawings and understand packaging and vehicle integration
• Design vehicle bodies, structures, panels, brackets, assemblies and fabricated components
• Manage BOMs, drawing revisions and engineering documentation
• Work closely with manufacturing, production and workshop teams to resolve design and build issues
• Liaise with fabricators, bodybuilders, vehicle manufacturers and suppliers
• Support prototype builds, first‑off builds and engineering changes
• Ensure designs meet relevant legislation, safety and industry requirements
• Provide technical guidance to a junior Design Engineer
• Support cost reduction, standardisation and continuous improvement

• Proven experience as a Design Engineer / Senior Design Engineer within vehicle body, transport, automotive, capital equipment or a similar manufacturing environment
• Strong Solid Works experience
• Good understanding of 2D manufacturing drawings and drawing standards
• Experience designing fabricated, welded and sheet metal components
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and design for manufacture
• Understanding of fabrication, hydraulics, electrical systems and vehicle integration
• Experience taking engineering projects from concept through to completion
  
  Practical experience working with production and workshop teams
• Knowledge of vehicle weights, type approval and compliance would be advantageous
• Experience with commercial vehicles, specialist vehicles, municipal vehicles or highway maintenance equipment would be highly desirable
• ERP experience, particularly with engineering data and BOM management, would be advantageous
• HNC/HND, degree or equivalent qualification in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design or a related discipline would be advantageous

What We're Looking For

We're looking for a practical and commercially aware Senior Design Engineer who can do more than simply produce CAD designs. You'll work closely with manufacturing teams, suppliers and internal stakeholders to develop practical, manufacturable solutions and take ownership of projects through to completion. The successful candidate will be confident supporting junior engineers, managing multiple projects and working across different manufacturing sites.

• Salary:
  Up to £60,000
• Bonus:
  Up to 20%
• Company vehicle:
  Company vehicle provided, including electric BMW models such as the iX3
• Fuel/electric charging:
  Costs covered, including home EV charging installation where applicable
• Holiday: 28 days including bank holidays, plus Christmas shutdown
• Working hours:
  
  40 hours per week
• Flexible start/finish:
  Start between 6am and 9am, provided 40 hours are completed
• Location:
  
  Elland initially, then split between Elland and Stoke‑on‑Trent
• Travel:
  Regular travel between sites, with occasional visits to Milton Keynes and Bradford