Manager, Mechanical Design & Engineering
Category: Engineering
Location: Haverhill, Suffolk
🎯 Position Purpose
The Mechanical Design & Engineering Manager is responsible for the day‑to‑day leadership, performance and development of a multi‑disciplinary engineering design team. The role balances project supervision and team management, ensuring high‑quality delivery, effective resource allocation, and a collaborative, growth‑focused culture.
This manager supports the wider UK and global engineering functions, guiding design solutions, coaching team members, and driving continuous improvement across projects and processes.
🔧 Key Responsibilities
Project Supervising / Advising — 50%
- Project oversight for locally delivered engineering projects.
- Risk advising and escalation of technical issues.
- Estimating & bidding support for new work.
- Quality checks and continuous improvement activities.
- Monitoring project progress and ensuring successful delivery.
Team Management / Coaching — 50%
- 1:1 leadership, mentoring and career development.
- Training facilitation and skills growth.
- Timesheet, expense and system approvals.
- Supporting resource scheduling and workforce planning.
- Representing the team in local leadership forums.
- Promoting a positive, adaptable, growth‑mindset culture.
🧠 Core Competencies
Aptitude
- Efficiency — Delivers strong output with minimal wasted effort.
- Organisation & planning — Prioritises effectively and manages workload.
- Calm under pressure — Performs steadily in high‑pressure environments.
- Versatility — Able to contribute across multiple engineering functions.
- Proactivity — Brings new ideas and acts independently.
- Flexibility — Adapts quickly to changing priorities.
- Continuous improvement — Seeks better ways of working.
Collaboration
- Integrity — Honest, ethical, and trustworthy.
- Follow‑through — Delivers on commitments.
- Listening skills — Understands others’ viewpoints.
- Communication — Clear, concise written and verbal communication.
- Teamwork — Builds strong relationships across teams.
- Persuasion — Influences decisions constructively.
- Openness to feedback — Responds calmly and constructively.
- Shared learning — Encourages knowledge transfer.
- Conflict resolution — Handles disagreements productively.
Commitment
- Enthusiasm — Positive, energetic, and engaged.
- Advocacy — Represents the organisation and customers effectively.
- Work ethic — Strong commitment to delivery.
- High standards — Expects excellence from self and team.
- Persistence — Tenacious in achieving outcomes.
- Role modelling — Demonstrates organisational values.
🎓 Minimum Qualifications
- BSc in Mechanical Engineering or similar technical discipline.
- Experience managing technical teams with an emotionally intelligent, collaborative approach.
- Exposure to complex engineering or technology‑driven industries.
- Proven ability to operate effectively in fast‑paced, high‑pressure decision‑making environments.
🎁 Benefits
- Competitive pension scheme with employer contributions.
- Life assurance.
- Health cashback plan.
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
- Cycle to Work scheme.
- Income protection / critical illness cover.
- Optional private medical insurance (role‑dependent).
- Paid annual leave increasing with service.
- UK bank holidays.
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