Engineer Manager

The company runs aluminium foundry (primarily low-pressure castings), machining and paint operations in Burton Latimer. The Engineering Manager is the technical lead for machining: the person who turns a customer drawing or model into a costed, tooled and proven process.
Read the overview of this opportunity to understand what skills, including and relevant soft skills and software package proficiencies, are required.

The role combines four things: quoting and estimating for the Commercial team, hands-on process and CNC programming work, NPI and quality problem solving, and technical support to Maintenance. You will manage two Machine Shop Supervisors and report to the Managing Director and Operations Director.

The post-holder owns machining engineering from quotation through to stable production.

Quotations, estimations and proposals

•Prepare cycle time estimates, tooling costs and dedicated equipment proposals for the Commercial department, including labour requirement and capacity analysis

•Cost fixtures, gauges and ancillary operations such as washing, pressure testing and painting

Drawings, workholding and tooling

•Interpret engineering drawings, specifications and tolerances (GD&T)

•Specify and procure hydraulic and manual workholding and fixtures

•Select and procure cutting tools; design or procure special purpose, multi-function cutting tools in partnership with tooling suppliers

•Produce tooling data, process layouts and drawings

•Specify and procure ancillary process equipment (washing, pressure testing, assembly)

CAD/CAM and CNC programming

•Work with 2D and 3D design software (e.g. AutoCAD, Hypermill) and customer-supplied models

•Generate Fanuc-based ISO CNC programs manually and/or with CAM software

•Prove out and run programs hands-on across a variety of CNC control systems

NPI and APQP

•Manage timing plans, project goals and budgets

•Produce Control Plans and FMEAs and define capability requirements

Quality and continuous improvement

•Carry out root cause analysis and complete permanent 8D corrective actions for customer issues

•Understand SPC capability requirements and results, and interpret CMM reports

•Identify cycle time reductions, better labour deployment, tool life improvements and process capability gains

Maintenance and capital support

•Support the Maintenance team, including liaison with maintenance sub-contractors and costing of repairs

•Advise on capital expenditure by preparing quotes and recommendations (decisions sit with senior management)

Candidates must show proven machining process engineering experience, not a quality-only or maintenance-only background.

•Experience quoting and estimating machined parts: cycle times, tooling, fixtures and labour

•Working knowledge of engineering drawings and GD&T

•Detailed understanding of hydraulic and manual workholding and fixture design xehkeey

•Competent selection and deployment of cutting tools, and experience working with tooling suppliers on special tools

•Competent with 2D and 3D CAD/CAM software

•Able to write Fanuc-based ISO (G-code) programs manually and/or with CAM

•Hands-on prove-out of CNC programs on a variety of machine control systems

•NPI and APQP experience, including timing plans, Control Plans and FMEA

•Root cause analysis and 8D corrective actions for customer issues

•Working understanding of SPC and capability, and CMM results

•Experience managing or supervising a machine shop team

•Right to work in the UK

•Experience with aluminium castings, ideally low pressure

•Knowledge of washing, pressure testing and assembly equipment specification

•Experience costing repairs and working with maintenance sub-contractors

•Exposure to capital investment recommendations and budgets

•Full UK driving licence