Production Engineer

The Business

This role is with a highly respected manufacturer of medical technology products, including operating theatre lighting systems and integrated control panels. The company is part of a wider European health tech group and operates from a stable, low-turnover manufacturing site with around 80 staff. The environment is described as relaxed, collaborative, and high-performing, making it an excellent opportunity for a motivated engineer seeking meaningful work in a purpose-driven setting.

The business is ISO 13485 certified and sits within the rapidly growing West Yorkshire health tech cluster. This provides a great opportunity for engineers to gain regulated industry experience and work on products that make a real impact in clinical environments.

The Role Overview

This is a Production Engineer role with a strong NPI (New Product Introduction) focus. The successful candidate will be embedded within the Design Engineering team, working alongside seven other engineers and reporting into a senior technical leader with a background in production engineering. The person in this role will play a key part in developing and introducing new products to the shop floor, as well as supporting day-to-day production engineering tasks.

The manufacturing environment is low-volume, highly configurable, and cell-based – including a small machine shop (4 operators), multiple manual assembly cells (c.10 operatives), and a paint shop. The role covers a wide spectrum, including process optimisation, work instruction creation, mechanical design support, CI/lean activities, and digital/data improvement projects.

Key Responsibilities

NPI & Manufacturing Readiness (c. 80% of initial focus):

• Lead engineering activities for new products being introduced to manufacturing.
• Collaborate with design engineers and shop floor staff to transition products from concept to build.
• Write and maintain work instructions and SOPs.
• Develop and implement fixtures and jigs to improve assembly efficiency and quality.
• Optimise existing build and test processes to reduce cost and improve reliability.

Process Improvement & Day-to-Day Engineering:

• Spend hands-on time on the shop floor to gain an in-depth understanding of the build processes.
• Identify cost, quality, and time-saving opportunities across assembly, machine shop, and paint shop areas.
• Support lean initiatives (5 Whys, waste reduction, mistake-proofing, etc).
• Assist with engineering change control including BOM updates and drawing modifications.

Mechanical Design Support:

• Support the over-capacity design team on minor mechanical updates and drawing tasks.
• Produce 3D models and drawings using SolidWorks (or equivalent CAD package).

Digital & ERP Projects:

• Assist with data collection and dashboarding projects using tools such as Power BI.
• Provide input to future ERP system implementation (currently Sage).

Desired Candidate Profile

Essential Experience:

• 2–5 years' experience in a production engineering or manufacturing support role.
• Comfortable working in a light mechanical/electronic assembly environment.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing documentation, BOMs, and build processes.
• Hands-on experience creating work instructions, fixtures, and standardised processes.

Preferred Background:

• Mechanical Engineering or Mechatronics degree, or an apprenticeship with solid practical experience.
• Experience in low-volume, high-mix environments.
• Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems (any platform).

Desirable Tools & Skills:

• SolidWorks or similar 3D CAD package
• Power BI or similar visualisation tools
• Understanding of lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies

Personal Attributes:

• Strong self-starter – must be capable of working independently without close supervision.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Positive, proactive, and collaborative approach.
• Culturally adaptable, with awareness of expectations in UK manufacturing environments.

Team & Culture

This role sits in a stable and experienced design team with a mix of ages and backgrounds. The team values technical ability combined with pragmatic problem-solving and getting things done. Staff turnover is very low, and the wider factory environment is relaxed, friendly, and well-run.

The successful candidate will be expected to embed quickly into this culture, take ownership of their work, and contribute meaningfully from day one.

Why Join?

• Be part of a growing company in a critical industry (health tech).
• Work on meaningful, life-improving products.
• Gain regulated industry experience (ISO 13485) to boost your long-term career value.
• Collaborate with a talented and stable design/engineering team.
• Exposure to a broad range of responsibilities, with room to grow.