Lead Engineer (known internally as Manufacturing Support Shift Leader) in Southampton

A brighter future awaits you. CooperVision is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses with a presence in over 100 countries. Being part of CooperVision means helping improve the way people see each day. It’s more than making contact lenses, it’s about giving lens wearers freedom and confidence to move about their daily lives. We’re all about bright futures – for our people and those who wear our contact lenses.

Job summary – What to expect:

As the Lead Engineer, you will be responsible for leading, motivating and developing a group of manufacturing support engineers to maintain the required knowledge, attitude and skills needed to meet the customers' production and process equipment demands. You will recruit, build, and maintain an exceptional team of engineers (and tooling technicians where relevant). The total number of staff you will be responsible for per shift can be between 7-14.

Essential Functions & Accountabilities:

• A balance of meetings, data collation and reporting, practical engineering tasks and engineer support and mentoring are needed in this role.
• There is an expectation that approximately 50% of the working day is spent in analysis and collation of information leading to improvement activities in the area of robustness of processes as well as cost control.
• Investment in training for multi-skilled MSEs enabling UK Manufacturing to support all of its technology.
• Plan, organise and control maintenance activities to ensure that quality, volume and cost outcomes are achieved.
• Defining requirements for specific training and development of Manufacturing Support Engineers to meet the BU’s equipment needs.
• Maintaining process uptime to agreed levels.
• Monitor and review working practice taking corrective action and providing guidance to Manufacturing Support Engineers and others as required ensuring that regulatory, quality and health and safety standards are met.
• Act as controller for equipment support and PPM activities within the BU’s.
• Act as focal point for process support services such as IT, Development and Controls, Project Engineering to ensure that required standards of service are provided.
• Compile and analyse relevant data regarding the achievement of KPIs to identify underlying trends, implement opportunities to enhance performance and optimise the use of resources.
• Appraise, develop, and coach team members in new ways of working so that they become self-managing whenever possible in meeting changing customer/business unit requirements.
• Create, sustain, and encourage an environment of controlled continuous improvement.
• Create and sustain a climate where good employee relations are maintained.
• Develop a culture of prevention rather than cure, positive behaviour, absolute support for Manufacturing where challenging BU objectives is required.

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Providing appropriate levels of engineering knowledge and capability across the shifts to meet all process and equipment issues arising within the business unit and their associated equipment.
• Maintaining process uptime to agreed levels.
• Serious process problems regarding quality or major equipment problems, as these are likely to cause major disruption to production.
• Significant changes to or new processes due to the level of training that is required, and the numbers of people involved.
• Initiate own training requirements to achieve all the above with relevant time scales agreed.

Work Environment:

The job operates within a clean room environment. As a result, the job holder is gowned-up for lengthy periods whilst on shift, some PPE is necessary in completing certain aspects of the role. The job also operates in workshop and plan areas, therefore PPE where appropriate must be worn (facemasks, eye protection and gloves). There is a continuous noise in the working area, ear protection must be worn in areas that are locally designated an ear protection area. There will be some controlled physical lifting required. The core working hours are 12-hour shifts, 4 days on, 4 days off. Around 50% of the time the post holder is on their feet.

Experience:

• IT literate.
• Sound knowledge of company Health and Safety and employee relations practices.
• The following behavioural competencies: Leadership, Planning and Organisation, Communication, Problem Solving, Motivating Others, Team Orientation, Innovation and Quality/Continuous Improvement and Change Orientation.
• Results Delivery.
• Initiate own training requirements to achieve all of the above with relevant time scales agreed.

Education:

Time served skill (for example, C&G, TEC).

What we offer:

You’ll receive competitive compensation and a fantastic benefits package including 22 days holiday, pension scheme, healthcare cover, life assurance, access to our Wellness Platform to support you in mental health and wellbeing, a discounted contact lens scheme and much more! We are committed to our employees’ personal and professional development and offer extensive training to support your career growth and help every individual to reach their full potential. To help us achieve our goals, we’ll give you everything you need to help you achieve yours. We also provide access to LinkedIn Learning to help you develop in your career and grow with CooperVision.

What you can expect:

As a CooperVision employee, you’ll be welcomed into a diverse and progressive global business. We appreciate how important fostering a diverse and inclusive culture is and how different perspectives add value and contribute to our success.