Manufacturing Engineer (R&D)

Up to £40,000 DOE | Permanent, Office based with Flexitime | Exeter

We are recruiting on behalf of a well-established Exeter-based designer and manufacturer of high quality commercial and domestic appliances, supplying customers in more than 30 countries. The business has grown largely through developing its own products for the mid to upper end of the market, and continues to invest in an ongoing new product programme. They are now looking for a Development Manufacturing Engineer to join their R&D department and ensure that new designs are robust, manufacturable and cost-effective.

The Role

Reporting to the Technical Engineering Manager, you will be the manufacturing voice within R&D, providing manufacturing and assembly guidance through each stage of new product design and prototyping. Alongside new product development, you will lead R&D projects focused on cost reduction, manufacturing and quality improvements, and support the continuous improvement of existing product ranges. The role would suit an engineer who enjoys bridging the gap between design and production and taking ownership of projects from start to finish.

Responsibilities for the Development Manufacturing Engineer:

• Ensure designs throughout the new product development process are suitable for manufacture, fully assessed, and that final prototypes are signed off before pre-production builds.
• Influence component geometry, tolerances and part standardisation, identifying manufacturing, assembly, tooling and material challenges early in the design process.
• Drive design for manufacture initiatives so products are efficient, repeatable and cost-effective to manufacture and assemble.
• Work closely with Production Engineering, Quality, Purchasing, Marketing and new product development teams to deliver successful product launches.
• Ensure designs comply with engineering standards, legislation and company procedures.
• Lead R&D initiative projects, keeping stakeholders involved, reporting on progress and making sure deadlines are met.

Requirements for the Development Manufacturing Engineer include:

• Experience in a manufacturing, production or development engineering role, ideally within new product development.
• A strong understanding of design for manufacture and assembly principles.
• Practical knowledge of manufacturing processes, tooling and materials, with a good grasp of component geometry and tolerancing.
• Confidence leading projects, managing deadlines and reporting progress to stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate across multiple departments.
• An awareness of engineering standards and relevant legislation.

Benefits:

• Salary of up to £40,000, depending on experience.
• Generous flexitime scheme.
• 6.4 weeks holiday (inclusive of bank holidays), rising with length of service.
• Company pension scheme and a generous staff discount on the company’s products.
• Structured internal and external training, with a proven record of developing and promoting staff.
• Free on-site parking, free eye tests, and a positive working environment.

If you are an engineer who enjoys shaping products from concept through to production and would like to join a business that values its people and invests in innovation, we would love to hear from you.

Note on Sponsorship: We regret to inform you that at this time, we are unable to offer sponsorship for work authorisation for this role. Therefore, candidates must possess valid authorisation to work in the UK without requiring visa sponsorship.

Recruitment Consultant: Dan Martin

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