Lead Manufacturing Engineer

Overview

In this hands-on role, you will shepherd hardware from R&D prototypes to scalable manufacturing. You’ll own manufacturing, supplier development, and production readiness, collaborating with mechanical, electrical, and thermal teams to transition through alpha/beta builds to full production. You will design processes, tooling, and automation while solving complex manufacturing challenges. This is an impact role at a growing Oxford-based hardware company, offering strong ownership and real-world validation with customers.

Responsibilities

• Lead the prototype-to-production transition (alpha/beta to production)
• Develop manufacturing processes, tooling, equipment, and automation
• Collaborate with PCB/PCBA, CNC, materials suppliers
• Drive design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly (DfM/DfA) across new product development
• Develop and manage product testing, validation, EMC, environmental, and accelerated lifetime programs
• Work hands-on with robotics, tooling, and custom automation
• Solve manufacturing and engineering problems from first principles
• Collaborate with customers to validate products in demanding real-world applications

Key requirements

• 5+ years in an advanced manufacturing environment (power electronics, robotics, precision engineering, aerospace, automotive or similar)
• A degree in engineering or a relevant technical discipline
• Proven track record taking manufacturing processes, equipment or automation from concept to operation
• Strong DfM/DfA knowledge
• Hands-on experience with robotics, tooling and/or custom automation
• Experience working with external manufacturing partners and suppliers
• Strong mechanical and electrical engineering capability

• cross-functional collaboration
• problem solving
• pragmatic hands-on mindset
• DfM/DfA knowledge
• robotics and/or custom automation
• PCB/PCBA and CNC familiarity

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