Product Development Engineering Manager
2 days ago
Cardiff
“Advanced Manufacturing – Automotive / Aerospace OEM Focus” South Wales / Some Flexibility – on site as required Up to £75,000 Base Salary + Bonus + Benefits (Relocation Assistance may be available) Our client is an integral part of an international, market leading engineering solutions provider with over 20 operations in 10 countries. Working out of a specialist design, development, test and manufacturing facility in South Wales, the business is benefiting from substantial capital investment. It is currently undergoing a rapid phase of expansion and is at the forefront of “state-of-the-art” developments in technologically sustainable, innovative and resilient solutions for a highly demanding global customer base that spans Land Vehicle, Aerospace and Industrial markets. Reporting to the Engineering Director, this is a highly customer-facing role, combining strong technical leadership with commercial awareness. You will lead the development of innovative new products in close collaboration with customers and will also act as a technical ambassador for the business, helping to identify opportunities, shape product concepts, and translate customer requirements into robust, manufacturable engineering solutions. The Role • Provide “hands on” technical leadership for the end-to-end development of new products from concept through to production, • Translate customer needs into clear technical requirements and product specifications, • Drive innovative solutions, ensure designs meet performance, quality, cost, regulatory and manufacturability requirements, • Oversee design reviews, validation plans, testing and product sign-off, • Act as a primary technical interface with key OEM customers, • Present and “sell” the company’s engineering capabilities and technical solutions, • Collaborate with customers to co-develop new products and technologies, • Support commercial teams in technical proposals, tenders and customer presentations, • Build long-term, trusted relationships with engineering and procurement stakeholders, • Identify emerging trends across our system solutions, expertise and applications, • Proactively generate new product ideas aligned with market and customer needs, • Contribute to the innovation of company’s product roadmap and technology strategy, • Benchmark competitor technologies and industry best practice, • Work closely with manufacturing, quality, sales and programme teams, • Provide technical guidance, leadership and mentoring to engineers within the team, • Manage multiple development projects in parallel, ensuring delivery to time and budget, • Be the technical expert support at trade shows, exhibitions and other industry events The Candidate • Degree-qualified in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline, • Significant experience in product development combined with proven experience of working within land vehicle automotive and/or aerospace OEMs, • Strong customer-facing skills with the ability to build trusted relationships and communicate complex technical concepts clearly, • Demonstrated ability to lead product development from concept to production that meet customer and market needs, • Commercial awareness and ability to support sales and business development activities, • Experience in systems engineering and requirements management, • Knowledge of automotive/aerospace standards and regulatory frameworks, • Project management experience, • A strong company ambassador - confident, credible and professional in front of customers, • Innovative, curious and passionate about engineering solutions, • A motivated self-starter who is able to work on own initiative, • Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, • Commercially minded with a customer-first mindset and an entrepreneurial approach towards increasing the pipeline of innovative product concept creation and opportunities, • Able to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment, • Strong people management and collaboration skills; able to a make a positive impact on company reputation as a leading engineering & technology partner, • Maintain high standards of Health and Safety: - safe working practices and support environmental initiatives, • Demonstrate superior presentation, communication and attention to detail skills, • Conversant with tools & processes – FEA,DFMEA, FMEA etc - IT Skills, including Microsoft 365, • Available and prepared to undertake international travel on an occasional basis