Senior Manufacturing Engineer - NPI

POSITION SUMMARY
The Senior Manufacturing Engineer - NPI leads the Manufacturing Engineering delivery of new products from early design engagement through prototype, qualification, pilot build, production release and stable manufacture. The role combines senior technical manufacturing engineering with disciplined project delivery, ensuring products are manufacturable, production-ready and introduced to agreed safety, quality, delivery, cost and schedule requirements.
The post holder translates design intent into robust, repeatable and scalable manufacturing processes; coordinates cross-functional deliverables; leads build readiness, process prove-out and production trials; and retains technical ownership through ramp-up and stabilisation. This is not a stand-alone project management role. Proven hands-on NPI and industrialisation experience is essential.
CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES
End-to-end Manufacturing Engineering ownership of assigned NPI and industrialisation programmes.
Manufacturing readiness, process development, validation, documentation, tooling, training and production release.
Technical ownership of assigned products through prototype, pilot build, ramp-up and stable production.
Planning and control of engineering deliverables, milestones, risks, issues, actions and dependencies.
Cross-functional coordination across Design, Production, Quality, Test, Supply Chain, Programme Management and suppliers.
Delivery of capable, controlled and scalable manufacturing processes that achieve safety, quality, delivery and cost requirements.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
New Product Introduction and Industrialisation
Lead Manufacturing Engineering activity across the full NPI lifecycle from concept and design reviews through prototype, qualification, pilot build, release and ramp-up.
Create and maintain NPI manufacturing plans with clear deliverables, owners, milestones, dependencies and acceptance criteria.
Lead Design for Manufacture and Assembly reviews and translate product requirements and design intent into practical manufacturing solutions.
Plan and coordinate build readiness reviews, prototype and pilot builds, process prove-out, production trials and lessons learned.
Define manufacturing process flows, routings, work content, equipment, tooling, fixtures, test interfaces, skills and training requirements.
Ensure manufacturing readiness is evidenced before production release, including controlled documentation, capable processes, available materials, validated tooling and trained personnel.
Lead the transfer from development into production and remain accountable for engineering support until agreed stability and performance criteria are achieved.
Manufacturing and Process Engineering
Develop, validate and continuously improve robust, repeatable and scalable manufacturing processes.
Lead process characterisation, verification and validation using objective data to demonstrate capability and control.
Own and approve manufacturing documentation including SOPs, work instructions, process specifications, routings and Bills of Materials where applicable.
Lead complex root cause investigations and implement effective corrective and preventative actions.
Define process controls, inspection points, acceptance criteria and production KPIs.
Drive improvements in yield, cycle time, throughput, scrap, rework, cost and delivery performance.
Engineering Project Delivery
Lead assigned NPI, industrialisation, capacity, yield improvement, equipment and strategic Manufacturing Engineering projects from initiation through completion.
Develop and maintain proportionate project plans, schedules, resource requirements, risks, issues, actions and dependencies.
Define technical deliverables, milestones, success criteria and manufacturing release requirements.
Coordinate activities across all supporting functions and challenge late or incomplete deliverables.
Monitor progress against agreed milestones and implement recovery actions where delivery is at risk.
Maintain clear governance through project reviews, dashboards, action logs and RAID management.
Communicate progress, decisions, risks and support requirements clearly to stakeholders and senior leadership.
Product and Technical Ownership
Take senior Manufacturing Engineering ownership of assigned products from NPI through ramp-up and into stable production.
Act as the primary technical escalation point for significant manufacturing, process, material and integration issues.
Be accountable for manufacturing performance including yield, efficiency, quality, delivery and process stability.
Balance immediate delivery requirements with long-term process robustness, compliance, maintainability and scalability.
Provide manufacturing input to product changes, obsolescence activity, capacity decisions and future product strategy.
Act as technical liaison with customers, suppliers and the design authority on Manufacturing Engineering matters as required.
Technical Leadership and Team Support
Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Manufacturing Engineers, Junior Manufacturing Engineers and Technicians.
Set best practice for process development, documentation, structured problem solving, project control and manufacturing readiness.
Support capability development and knowledge transfer across the Manufacturing Engineering team.
Provide hands-on support during critical builds, trials, process prove-out and production ramp-up.
Promote an engineering culture focused on ownership, quality, delivery and evidence-based decision-making.
Cross-Functional Collaboration and Governance
Build effective working relationships across Design, Production, Quality, Test, Supply Chain, Programme Management and external partners.
Facilitate technical reviews, manufacturing readiness reviews, project meetings and status reviews.
Influence outcomes without relying on direct authority, maintaining clear ownership and constructive challenge.
Ensure engineering deliverables comply with internal processes, quality requirements and applicable external standards.
Maintain traceable evidence of process validation, readiness decisions, risks, actions and approvals.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Technical and NPI Capability
Significant manufacturing engineering experience within a production environment.
Proven hands-on experience leading NPI and industrialisation from development or prototype builds into stable production.
Demonstrable experience developing and validating manufacturing processes, tooling, documentation and production controls.
Strong practical experience of build readiness, production trials, process prove-out, manufacturing release and production ramp-up.
Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, Bills of Materials and product requirements.
Demonstrable experience lea