Industrial Technical Manager. Job in Chester LilyLifestyle Jobs

We are recruiting on behalf of a leading industrial manufacturing organisation for a Technical Manager to oversee end-to-end technical delivery across a diverse engineering and production environment. This is a key leadership role responsible for shaping technical strategy, driving operational excellence, and leading a growing engineering team through a significant period of development and investment. The successful candidate will take ownership of product design, CNC programming, and manufacturing engineering activities, ensuring robust processes are in place from concept through to full production. This role will also play a central part in the development and implementation of a new ERP system and the establishment of standardised ways of working across the technical function.

With responsibility for a small but expanding team (currently 4 direct reports, growing to circa 6 within 12 months), this position requires both strategic leadership and hands-on technical capability.

• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary technical team covering design, CNC programming, and manufacturing engineering.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of new and existing products, from early development and prototyping through to production and customer delivery.
• Own and govern manufacturing processes across a wide range of operations including casting, rolling, extrusion, machining, and fabrication.
• Drive the New Product Introduction (NPI) process, ensuring seamless transition from commercial award to production readiness.
• Develop and implement PFMEA, control plans, and standardised work instructions to ensure robust and repeatable processes.
• Work closely with Health & Safety to ensure all process designs are safe, compliant, and consider human factors.
• Collaborate with commercial teams to align production capability with demand requirements, including capacity planning, factory layout, and CAPEX input.
• Support the design and rollout of a new ERP system, ensuring it meets current and future technical and operational needs.
• Define and implement technical standards, engineering governance, and change control processes.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies to improve cost, quality, and efficiency.
• Lead root cause analysis and resolution of complex non-conformance and quality issues.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and cost optimisation activities across the technical function.
• Develop capability within the team through structured training, skills assessment, and competency development planning.
• Contribute to medium and long-term operational and technical strategy, including future growth and scaling requirements.
• Support R&D and innovation activities, driving new ideas through to implementation and stable production.
• Provide technical input into bids, estimates, and customer or stakeholder discussions where required.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with maintenance, quality, and production teams to improve overall operational performance.

• A degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline (or equivalent significant experience).
• Proven experience leading technical engineering teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong background in end-to-end production process ownership, including design, CNC programming, or manufacturing engineering.
• Demonstrable experience delivering successful NPI projects, including PFMEA and control plan development.
• Strong understanding of factory layout, process flow, line balancing, and operational efficiency.
• Experience operating in a Lean manufacturing environment, with application of Six Sigma and continuous improvement tools.
• Knowledge of ISO9001 quality systems and engineering standards.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings confidently.
• Experience managing technical projects through to completion.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a structured root cause analysis approach.
• Experience with ERP or MES system implementation is highly desirable.
• Commercial awareness with experience supporting budgeting and cost control activities.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Location: Chester
Salary: 70,000 per annum (depending on experience)
Hours: Monday to Friday, 36 hours per week
Employment type: Permanent, full-time staff position
Reporting to: Operations Director
Direct reports: 4 (growing to approximately 6 within 12 months)

This is a high-impact leadership role suited to a technically strong, commercially aware engineering leader who thrives in a dynamic manufacturing environment and is motivated by building capability, structure, and long-term operational success.