Head of Design & Analysis

Key Responsibilities

• Provide visionary technical leadership across engineering design and analysis disciplines, ensuring the successful development and delivery of innovative, high-performance mechanical and electromechanical systems.
• Define and drive engineering strategy in alignment with business objectives, product roadmaps, and long-term technology plans.
• Own the engineering governance framework, including design reviews, risk assessments (FMEA, DFM, DFA), and compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Establish and enforce rigorous standards for CAD models, 2D drawings, BOM structures, and documentation across all stages of the product lifecycle.
• Build and lead a high-performing engineering organisation, including recruitment, development, and performance management of multidisciplinary teams.
• Collaborate closely with Programme Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality to ensure seamless integration of engineering into the broader business.
• Drive the adoption of modern engineering tools, simulation technologies, and digital development methodologies (e.g., Model-Based Design, Agile Engineering).
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement and engineering excellence.
• Act as a senior technical representative with internal and external stakeholders
• Lead root cause investigations and corrective actions for critical technical issues across the product portfolio.
• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, competitors, and industry trends to inform engineering priorities and innovation opportunities.
• Champion the use of advanced test technologies, including automation and simulation-assisted validation.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• 15+ years of engineering design experience, with 5+ years in senior leadership roles within a product design and development organisation.
• Proven track record of delivering complex mechanical systems to market — ideally in sectors such as marine, automotive, industrial machinery, aerospace, or robotics.
• Powertrain experience preferable.
• Expertise in 3D CAD ( Siemens NX), GD&T, tolerance analysis, and DFM/DFA best practices.
• Extensive experience with PLM systems (e.g., Teamcenter, Windchill) and structured product development processes.
• Demonstrated capability in technical leadership across systems integration, simulation (FEA/CFD), materials, and component selection.
• Good understanding of regulatory frameworks, quality standards, and product certification processes.

Personal Attributes

• Credible technical leader and strategic thinker.
• Inspirational and empowering people leader with a passion for mentoring, coaching, and developing engineering talent.
• Comfortable balancing innovation, risk, and commercial realities in a dynamic environment.
• Highly analytical and structured decision-maker; adept at distilling complex technical problems into actionable insights.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, capable of navigating ambiguity and competing priorities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to engage effectively with cross-functional teams, partners, and customers.
• High integrity, resilient, and outcomes-focused, with a relentless drive for quality and continuous improvement.

Key Information

• Location: Coventry Head office
• Salary: Negotiable – depending on background and experience

Disclaimer

Caudwell Marine operates a Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for recruitment agencies, which is currently not under review. Agencies not on our PSL are kindly requested to refrain from submitting speculative CVs or contacting our hiring managers or employees directly regarding recruitment matters.

Please note that any CVs submitted by non-PSL agencies, whether speculative or otherwise, will be treated as unsolicited.