Lead Engineer - Product Engineering in Preston

A growing engineering business based in Blackburn is looking to appoint a Lead Design Engineer into a newly created position. The Lead Design Engineer role has been created due to increased workload, a strong order book, and continued business growth.

With the Engineering Director currently overseeing both strategic engineering direction and day-to-day design activity, there is now a need for an experienced design professional to take ownership of project delivery, support the design team, and help ensure engineering projects are completed efficiently, accurately, and on time.

This position sits between the Engineering Director and the Design Team, giving the successful Lead Design Engineer the opportunity to remain technically hands-on while also taking a key role in coordinating and guiding design activity across live projects. This is a hands-on design leadership role. You will still be involved in technical design work, but you will also act as the main point of support for the Design Team on live engineering projects.

As Lead Design Engineer, you will help ensure design work is delivered to specification, within scope, and in line with project timescales:

• Leading and coordinating design activity across multiple engineering projects
• Supporting, guiding, and mentoring Design Engineers on technical delivery
• Acting as the link between the Engineering Director and the Design Team
• Reviewing design work and helping maintain engineering standards
• Supporting project delivery from concept through to manufacture
• Helping improve design processes, workflows, and internal engineering standards
• Remaining hands-on with mechanical design work when required
• Working closely with internal departments to ensure practical, manufacturable design solutions

You may currently be working as a Senior Design Engineer, Lead Mechanical Design Engineer, Principal Design Engineer, Design Team Leader, Mechanical Design Lead, Project Design Engineer, or Mechanical Design Engineer ready to take a step up.

Experience required:

• Experience in a senior, lead, or project-focused mechanical design role
• A background in capital equipment, machinery design, automation, or special purpose machinery
• Strong mechanical design and practical engineering knowledge
• The ability to balance hands-on design work with team coordination
• Experience supporting or guiding other Design Engineers
• A good understanding of manufacturing processes and design for manufacture
• The ability to work in a fast-paced, project-led engineering environment

Why This Lead Design Engineer Role Stands Out:

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Early finish at 1pm every Friday
• Clear opportunity to influence design project delivery
• Strong order book and long-term project pipeline
• Hands-on technical design role with added leadership responsibility

This office-based role is located in Blackburn and is commutable from surrounding areas including Darwen, Accrington, Burnley, Preston, Chorley, Leyland, Clitheroe, Nelson, Rossendale, Bolton, Bury, Wigan, Ribble Valley, and parts of Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

If you are looking to step into a leadership role, or you are already operating as a Lead Design Engineer and want more influence over project delivery, this could be a strong next step.