Innovation Engineer in Bingley

James Walker is part of the James Walker Group of Companies, a successful global industrial organisation supplying high performance sealing products and solutions. With state‑of‑the‑art material technology skills, the James Walker Strategic Business Unit (SBU) specialises in the provision of sealing solutions (elastomers, polymers, composites, engineering plastics, high nickel alloys). Our worldwide group of companies has operations, sales and service entities across Europe, Middle East, India, Australia, New Zealand, SE Asia, South Africa and North and South America.

Your Role

The Innovation Engineer will drive the front‑end innovation process, working with internal manufacturing business units, universities, KTP associates and PhD researchers to identify opportunities, define concepts, assess feasibility and support the creation of robust business cases. The role focuses on early‑stage innovation prior to product development and industrialisation. The Innovation Engineer will manage projects at multiple sites and is expected to attend the Bingley site for a minimum of three days a week.

Key Responsibilities

• Innovation Project Planning & Governance: Lead or independently deliver designated development projects, taking full ownership from initial planning through to commercialisation. Apply a hands‑on approach to project execution, ensuring progress, quality, and timely delivery. Develop clear and structured project plans that support the successful delivery of early‑stage innovation activities. Create, maintain and communicate RAID logs to identify and manage risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies early and responsibly. Work collaboratively with colleagues across manufacturing, engineering, Product Management, sales and R&D to ensure innovation projects are aligned, understood and well supported. Manage selected development initiatives while simultaneously supporting wider innovation activities, including contributions to Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), PhD research programmes and other collaborative development efforts.
• Concept Development & Feasibility Assessment: Support the creation and review of new concepts, bringing both technical understanding and a practical approach to assessing potential solutions. Assess internal capability, capacity and skills to determine feasibility and ensure proposals are grounded in operational reality.
• Business Case & Product Strategy Support: Provide well‑structured input into early business cases, including technical rationale, estimated costings, risks and assumptions. Work with stakeholders to develop early product strategies that reflect customer needs, manufacturing considerations and commercial goals. Support decision making by presenting clear, factual, and balanced recommendations.
• Academic and Research Partnerships: Work closely with university partners, KTP associates and PhD researchers, offering guidance, technical input and support to ensure joint projects progress effectively.
• Internal Collaboration & Communication: Engage with colleagues across the business to ensure innovation activities are visible, well communicated and understood. Contribute to workshops, reviews and technical discussions, always demonstrating a collaborative and constructive approach. Provide clear reporting and updates to stakeholders, ensuring transparency on progress, risks and outcomes. Produce clear and accurate documentation including project plans, risk logs, feasibility assessments and concept summaries. Demonstrate a “right first time” approach by maintaining high standards in all written outputs and technical records. Seek opportunities to improve innovation processes, tools and ways of working, supporting the team’s commitment to continuous improvement.

About you

Preferred Skill & Experience:

• Working with academic partners (KTPs, universities, PhDs)
• Experience in manufacturing or material‑based industries
• Involvement in product strategy or commercial decision making
• Exposure to structured innovation methodologies
• Participation in ideation or innovation workshops
• Contributing to the development of business cases

Essential Skill & Experience:

• Front‑end innovation or early‑stage engineering experience
• Experience managing or contributing to innovation projects
• Stakeholder engagement in a technical or engineering environment
• Conducting technical and commercial research
• Exposure to feasibility assessments
• Reporting and documentation experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or postgraduate qualification in Engineering, Innovation, Product Development or related discipline
• Professional accreditation (e.g., IMechE, IOM3, IChemE or working toward chartered status)
• Training or certification in a recognised innovation or project methodology (e.g., PRINCE2 Foundation, Agile fundamentals, Design Thinking, Lean Innovation)

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Materials, Manufacturing, Chemical, Product Design Engineering or similar)
• Evidence of continuous professional development, particularly in innovation, engineering or project management