Senior Powertrain Manufacturing Engineer

The Senior Manufacturing Engineer is accountable for the end-to-end definition, delivery, and continuous evolution of advanced assembly manufacturing systems for a low-volume, high-value powertrain facility.

This role provides technical leadership and strategic direction across manufacturing engineering, ensuring product designs are translated into world-class, scalable, and digitally enabled production systems that achieve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and sustainability targets across the full product lifecycle.

Operating at a systems level, the role shapes plant architecture, automation strategy, and industrialisation roadmaps, while leading cross-functional integration from early concept through launch and into operational excellence.

• Own and define the end-to-end manufacturing system architecture, including process design, automation strategy, plant layout, and digital integration.
• Develop and govern long-term manufacturing strategies, ensuring scalability, flexibility, and alignment with future product and technology roadmaps.
• Lead development of line concepts, takt strategies, capacity models, and industrialisation plans.
• Champion implementation of advanced Lean Production Systems and continuous improvement frameworks.
• Define and lead integration of MES, digital twins, and Industry 4.0 technologies to enable traceability, analytics, and real-time control.

• Provide technical authority and governance over tooling, equipment, and automation strategy.
• Lead specification, selection, and validation of complex automated systems and precision assembly technologies.
• Establish and manage strategic supplier partnerships, including integrators and equipment vendors.
• Oversee design reviews, FAT/SAT readiness, and technical risk mitigation.
• Drive innovation in automation, robotics, and smart manufacturing solutions to enhance capability and competitiveness.
• Ensure all systems are designed for reliability, maintainability, and lifecycle cost optimisation.

• Lead deployment of quality-by-design principles across manufacturing systems.
• Own and govern PFMEA, control plans, and error‑proofing strategies at system level.
• Ensure robust implementation of traceability, torque control, leak testing, cleanliness, and end‑of‑line validation systems.
• Drive achievement of first‑time‑through, warranty, and reliability targets.
• Establish change management governance for product and process evolution.
• Utilise digital manufacturing and simulation tools to validate processes prior to implementation.

• Lead manufacturing engineering delivery through concept, industrialisation, installation, commissioning, and ramp‑up.
• Provide senior technical leadership during launch, ensuring rapid issue resolution and risk mitigation.
• Oversee pilot builds, run‑at‑rate validation, and production readiness.
• Ensure achievement of takt, yield, safety, and cost targets within programme timelines.
• Act as a key decision‑maker in high‑pressure launch environments.

• Provide technical and functional leadership to manufacturing engineering teams across process, tooling, and industrial engineering disciplines.
• Establish and enforce engineering standards, best practices, and governance frameworks.
• Mentor and develop engineers, building organisational capability and succession strength.
• Lead implementation of structured problem‑solving methodologies (e.g., root cause analysis, Six Sigma approaches).
• Champion health, safety, and ergonomic excellence, embedding a proactive safety culture.
• Ensure full compliance with regulatory, environmental, and corporate standards.

• Act as a key interface across Product Engineering, Operations, Quality, Digital, Facilities, and Supply Chain.
• Influence programme strategy, capital investment planning, and business case development.
• Support senior governance reviews and executive decision‑making.
• Drive alignment between manufacturing capability and future product…