Engineering Manager in Kidderminster

Introduction

Latham & Bond Recruitment Group are supporting a market-leading Tier 1 automotive manufacturing organisation based in Kidderminster. This business supplies high-precision engineered components to global OEM programmes and is investing heavily in new production lines, capital equipment, and next-generation manufacturing capability.

Location: Kidderminster. On-site.

Salary: £55,000 – £60,000 + 5k Car Allowance.

Job Type: Full-time. Permanent.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all engineering and manufacturing development for existing and new products.
• Design, prove, implement, and maintain production processes to deliver product on time, to quality, and to cost.
• Own process definition, line design, installation, and optimisation across CNC machining, assembly, and test operations.
• Provide technical leadership to Production and Process Engineers.
• Drive continuous improvement in quality, cycle time, machine availability, and cost through lean and value engineering.
• Provide technical input into bids for new business and support successful programme awards.
• Build and manage project plans, budgets, and milestone delivery for capital and process development projects.
• Identify, justify, and manage capital equipment and tooling investment.
• Analyse downtime, identify trends, and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Lead structured root cause analysis and problem-solving activity.
• Develop, deploy, and manage KPIs across all engineering and manufacturing areas.
• Control departmental and capital expenditure budgets.
• Ensure procedures, documentation, and technical standards remain accurate and compliant.
• Conduct risk assessments across processes and tasks.
• Engage and manage external engineering resources where required.
• Produce reports and present data to senior leadership.

Skills and Attributes

• Proven experience within CNC machining, assembly, and test operations in a Tier 1 automotive or high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of IATF 16949, automotive systems, and structured problem-solving tools.
• Deep understanding of lean manufacturing and waste reduction.
• Strong planning and prioritisation skills.
• Confident communicator with the ability to present technical and financial data.
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Strong leadership and people development skills.
• Ability to work in fast-moving, complex manufacturing environments.
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management ability.
• High level of technical judgement and initiative.

Qualifications and Experience

Degree in Manufacturing or Engineering, or HND, BTEC Level 5, or NVQ Level 5 equivalent.

Professional body membership desirable.

• Strong experience of CNC machining from three to five axis, from prototype through to high volume production.
• Strong working knowledge of CNC machines, fixturing, CAD systems in 2D and 3D, and component drawings.
• Hands-on experience of DFMEA, FMEA, APQP, PPAP, and Six Sigma.
• Proven experience leading New Product Introduction into production.

If you are an Engineering Manager who thrives in high precision, fast-paced automotive manufacturing and wants full ownership of engineering delivery, capital projects, and team leadership, this is a strong platform to make an impact.