NPI Manufacturing Engineer (Tooling & CNC)

NPI Manufacturing Engineer (Tooling & CNC)
Location: Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
Contract Type: PAYE Contract
Rate: Competitive Hourly Rate (DOE)
Hours: Full Time, 40hrs per week

About Our Client

Our client is a leading manufacturer of specialist industrial and marine safety equipment, supplying products to customers across a range of highly regulated industries worldwide.

Due to continued growth and investment in new product development, they are seeking an experienced NPI Manufacturing Engineer to support the introduction of new products into production and drive improvements in manufacturing processes, tooling and machining operations.

The Role

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Manufacturing Engineer or Tooling Engineer with a strong CNC machining and machine shop background.

Working closely with Production, Quality, Operations and external suppliers, you will play a key role in bringing new products into manufacture. You will be responsible for developing manufacturing methods, designing and improving jigs, fixtures and workholding solutions, supporting CNC machining activities, and ensuring robust production processes are established from prototype through to volume manufacture.

This role would suit someone who is equally comfortable on the shop floor as they are in front of a CAD workstation, with a practical understanding of machining, tooling and manufacturing best practice.

Key Responsibilities

New Product Introduction (NPI)

• Support the introduction of new products and components into manufacturing.
• Review engineering drawings and CAD models to determine the most effective manufacturing methods.
• Develop and implement manufacturing processes from prototype through to production release.
• Carry out Design for Manufacture (DFM) reviews and provide feedback to engineering teams.
• Identify manufacturing risks and implement practical solutions.
• Support production trials and process validation activities.

Tooling, Fixtures & Manufacturing Engineering

• Design and develop jigs, fixtures, tooling, workholding solutions and assembly aids using 3D CAD software.
• Create engineering drawings and manufacturing documentation for tooling and fixtures.
• Develop practical manufacturing solutions that improve safety, efficiency, quality and repeatability.
• Work closely with CNC programmers, machinists and production teams to optimise machining processes.
• Liaise with suppliers regarding tooling, fixtures and subcontract machining requirements.

Manufacturing Support & Continuous Improvement

• Provide day-to-day support for CNC machining and manufacturing operations.
• Investigate and resolve production issues using root cause analysis techniques.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, quality and cost reduction.
• Support PFMEA, process validation and continuous improvement activities.
• Assist with introducing lean manufacturing and best practice engineering solutions.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• HNC/HND, Apprenticeship or equivalent experience in Manufacturing Engineering, Production Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• Strong manufacturing engineering background within a machining environment.
• Experience supporting CNC machining operations, including milling and turning.
• Experience designing jigs, fixtures, tooling or workholding solutions.
• Competent user of 3D CAD software.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, tolerances and GD&T.
• Strong understanding of machining processes, tooling selection and manufacturing methodologies.
• Practical problem-solving skills with a hands-on engineering approach.
• Experience working closely with production and machine shop teams.

Desirable

• Apprentice-trained engineer with machine shop experience.
• Experience within low-volume/high-complexity manufacturing environments.
• CAD/CAM knowledge including SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, Siemens NX, Mastercam or Edgecam.
• Knowledge of 4-axis and 5-axis machining.
• Experience supporting NPI and product transfer into production.
• Understanding of Lean Manufacturing, PFMEA and FAI activities.

This contract opportunity would suit a Manufacturing Engineer, Tooling Engineer or NPI Engineer with a strong CNC machining background who enjoys solving practical manufacturing challenges and developing tooling and production solutions to support new product introduction.

Security Requirements

Due to the nature of the role, candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK and be willing to undergo a DBS check.