Lead Manufacturing Engineer

Lead Manufacturing Engineer

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours per week)

Location: Hybrid working, with office and laboratory facilities based in Oxfordshire

Start Date: As soon as possible

About the Company

We are an innovative engineering company developing advanced thermal management technologies for next-generation energy systems. Our mission is to improve efficiency and reduce emissions across a range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and data infrastructure.

As a growing technology business, we combine cutting-edge engineering with a collaborative and agile working environment, offering employees the opportunity to make a tangible impact while helping scale breakthrough technologies from research into commercial production.

What We Offer

Working Arrangements

Hybrid working

Flexible working hours

Benefits

Equity participation through an employee share option scheme

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service

Annual leave carry-over allowance

Enhanced company sick pay

Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

Salary sacrifice pension scheme with employer contribution

Reimbursement of professional membership fees

Life insurance

Income protection insurance

Private virtual GP access for immediate family members

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work scheme

Employee discount programme

Visa sponsorship available where applicable

Our Culture

We believe innovation thrives in a collaborative environment where talented people are empowered to contribute ideas and take ownership. We encourage flexible working, maintain open communication across the business, and support continuous learning and professional development. Alongside challenging technical work, we value teamwork and regularly bring colleagues together through company-wide events and social activities.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Lead Manufacturing Engineer to lead the development of manufacturing processes for advanced thermal components, supporting the transition from outsourced prototype production to scalable, in-house manufacturing.

This role is central to the industrialisation of innovative products, ensuring manufacturing processes are robust, repeatable and commercially viable. You will work closely with engineering teams, suppliers and external partners to develop production methods, establish quality systems and support the introduction of new manufacturing capabilities.

The successful candidate will take ownership of technical manufacturing workstreams while helping shape the company''s long-term production strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate and manage external manufacturing partners for prototype production using processes such as additive manufacturing, powder-based manufacturing, metal joining and precision machining.
• Plan and oversee mechanical, thermal and materials testing to validate manufacturing, joining and assembly processes.
• Assess manufacturing technologies suitable for long-term production scale-up.
• Develop and implement quality assurance processes for internally and externally manufactured components, including inspection and non-destructive testing methods.
• Lead the specification, installation, commissioning and operation of in-house manufacturing, assembly and inspection equipment.
• Develop Design for Manufacture (DfM) guidelines and work closely with engineering teams to embed manufacturing considerations into product development.
• Provide manufacturing feedback to improve product designs and optimise production efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement in manufacturing processes, ensuring reliability, repeatability and traceability.
• Support the planning and delivery of research and development projects and collaborative programmes.
• Coordinate manufacturing activities, project timelines and technical deliverables.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the growth of the engineering team.
• Support the development of new manufacturing technologies and production capabilities.

Essential Requirements

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science or a related discipline.
• At least five years'' experience in manufacturing process development.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing, joining, testing and quality assurance techniques.
• Experience managing external suppliers and prototype manufacturing programmes.
• Knowledge of process control, dimensional tolerancing and quality assurance for additively manufactured components.
• Excellent organisational, communication and technical documentation skills.

Desirable Experience

• Experience with powder-based manufacturing processes, including metal binder jetting or metal injection moulding.
• Experience establishing or commissioning pilot manufacturing lines.
• Background in thermal management, heat exchanger or precision-engineered component manufacturing.
• Experience developing in-house manufacturing facilities or laboratories.
• Experience working within regulated industries such as aerospace or automotive.
• Familiarity with industry qualification and environmental testing standards such as DO-160 or equivalent.