Senior Manufacturing Engineer – NPI in Norfolk

Senior Manufacturing Engineer – NPI Permanent Great Yarmouth Security Clearance: Required / must be obtainable The Opportunity We are looking for an experienced Senior Manufacturing Engineer – NPI to lead Manufacturing Engineering delivery across new product introduction and industrialisation programmes. This is a hands‑on senior technical role for an engineer who can take products from early design engagement and prototype through qualification, pilot build, production release, ramp‑up and stable manufacture. You will combine strong manufacturing engineering expertise with structured project delivery, ensuring products are manufacturable, production‑ready and introduced safely, to the required quality, cost and schedule. This is not a stand‑alone project management position. Proven hands‑on NPI and industrialisation experience is essential. Key Responsibilities Lead Manufacturing Engineering activity across the complete NPI lifecycle. Develop and maintain manufacturing plans, milestones, deliverables, dependencies and acceptance criteria. Lead Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) reviews and translate design intent into practical manufacturing solutions. Plan and coordinate prototype and pilot builds, build‑readiness reviews, production trials and process prove‑out. Define manufacturing process flows, routings, tooling, fixtures, equipment, test interfaces and training requirements. Ensure manufacturing readiness before production release, including controlled documentation, capable processes, validated tooling, materials and trained personnel. Lead the transfer from development into production and provide engineering support through ramp‑up and stabilisation. Develop, validate and continuously improve robust, repeatable and scalable manufacturing processes. Lead process characterisation, verification and validation using objective data. Own manufacturing documentation, including SOPs, work instructions, process specifications, routings and relevant Bills of Materials. Lead complex root‑cause investigations and corrective/preventive actions. Drive improvements in yield, cycle time, throughput, scrap, rework, cost and delivery performance. Lead wider Manufacturing Engineering projects covering NPI, industrialisation, capacity, yield improvement and equipment. Coordinate cross‑functional activities across Design, Production, Quality, Test, Supply Chain, Programme Management and suppliers. Act as a senior technical escalation point for manufacturing, process, material and integration issues. Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Manufacturing Engineers, Junior Engineers and Technicians. Support critical builds, trials, process prove‑out and production ramp‑up. What We're Looking For You will ideally have: Significant Manufacturing Engineering experience within a production environment. Proven hands‑on experience leading NPI and industrialisation from development/prototype through to stable production. Strong experience developing and validating manufacturing processes, tooling, documentation and production controls. Practical experience with build readiness, production trials, process prove‑out, manufacturing release and ramp‑up. The ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, Bills of Materials and product requirements. Strong root‑cause analysis and complex problem‑solving experience. Experience planning and controlling engineering work, including schedules, milestones, resources, risks, issues and dependencies. The ability to coordinate cross‑functional teams and suppliers to deliver technical and business outcomes. Excellent communication skills and the confidence to influence and constructively challenge stakeholders. A structured, data‑driven approach with strong planning and follow‑through. The ability to operate comfortably at both strategic and shop‑floor levels. Qualifications