Senior Engineer

Our client based in Derby is looking to recruit a Senior Engineer to join their award-winning company. The role will suit an individual looking for an opportunity to develop their career within a fast-paced organisation at the cutting edge of alternative fuel engine design and development.

Our client will work with you to support your career progression and development. They provide a competitive salary, company pension scheme, medical insurance and dental care schemes, access to the company’s healthy living centre, 33 days annual leave and flexibility around daily start and finish times.

You will be part of their systems team supporting Global Diesel and alternative fuel ICE platforms (including Hydrogen). Their engine Mechanical Systems Engineers are responsible for the delivery of a multitude of new and conventional ICE systems from concept to flawless launch, ensuring a robust system/component sign-off meeting all regulatory, quality, cost and timing requirements.

About your role

Working within a dynamic engineering-focused team, you will be responsible for the end-to-end engineering activities (research, development, delivery, and launch) relating to (an) engine system.

You'll need to support in-house quality, manufacturing, and service teams in resolving complex technical issues resulting from warranty claims and/or issues that lead to engineering change as the permanent solution, creating all-in-all robust product of world class quality.

Responsibilities:

Planning and Organisation

• Creating, maintaining and delivering the project plan for your system based on cascaded targets and allocated resource.
• Coordinate and liaise with key stakeholders in cross functional team collaboration (e.g. programme, purchasing, supplier) driving seamless project delivery.
• Support programme gateway reviews with technical evidence and cost status.
• Provide effective and timely escalation/status report through clear communication to senior management.
• Provide support to other design workstreams throughout the global design team.

Research and Development

• Keep on track of the state-of-the-art technical development within the System for which you are responsible.
• Understand the effectiveness and importance of relevant benchmarking.
• Create clean sheet concept designs from first principles.
• Plan and execute POC (Proof-of-Concept) assessment either through test campaign and/or first principle analysis and simulation.
• Maintain relationships with key strategic suppliers, their technologies and potential future opportunities.

Design and Release

• Work in a simultaneous engineering environment to support product development, ensuring design for service and achieving quality by design.
• Elicit requirements for your system based on cascaded performance and cost targets.
• Drive system and component specifications and designs based on agreed requirements with key stakeholders.
• Commission relevant analysis tools to support data driven design decisions or undertake and develop in house analysis.
• Develop system and component FMEAs, and DVPs.
• Coordinate and supervise DVP activities (e.g. analytical, simulation, and rig/engine/machine testing).
• Resolve engineering issues using structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g. Global 8D, DMAIC).
• Engage and support suppliers via the APQP process; deliver prototypes and PPAP parts to schedule and fulfil quality and performance requirements.
• Support achievement of business’s quality and warranty targets.
• Support current product through continuous improvement of component and system specifications.
• Create and maintain system design guides and relevant design SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures).

Requirements:

This role is open to candidates with >5 years relevant experience, who demonstrate a level of knowledge allowing autonomy in their role. Ideally, we are looking for candidates who can apply their experience and knowledge to new and existing concepts, using engineering first principles to understand problems and provide robust, validated engineering solutions whilst providing a level of mentorship to the less experienced members of the team. Senior engineers within the team should be able to "lead by example", promoting professionalism and best practice across the wider business and their suppliers.

In addition to a passion for engineering, experience of delivery, and a desire to be 'hands-on’ with projects from concept to completion, the candidates will:

• Have a degree in an associated mechanical engineering discipline, with a sound understanding of Mechanical Engineering principles (showing an attention to detail, and being data driven).
• Have a sound grasp of the engine product development cycle, and expertise in engine system and component specification, design, development and sign-off (using relevant tools).
• Experienced supplier interactions and management, with good commercial awareness.
• Understand and contribute to the management of the project.
• Be able to work well under pressure and to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrate an ability to communicate clearly and concisely at all levels.
• Show flexibility - the role requires travel to customer and supplier sites.
• Be willing to contribute in a dynamic, collaborative, and cross-discipline team setting.

About you

• >5 years previous experience of full system design for diesel or gasoline engines is essential.
• Practical understanding of ICE operating principles (e.g. mechanical/electromechanical design, thermodynamics, and tribology).
• Experience of the application of mechanical engineering GD&T and manufacturing processes
• Understanding of the role of emissions performance relating to ICE.
• Knowledge and experience in Model-Based-System-Engineering is preferred.
• Previous experience of 1D simulation (in AMEsim or similar) is advantageous.
• Knowledge of the use of commercially available 2D drawing and 3D Modelling packages is beneficial but not required for the role.