Engineering Manager

Engineering ManagerPrecision Manufacturing | Hands-on LeadershipLocation: Wakefield Salary: £50,000 – £55,000 + a well-rounded benefits packageKO2 Recruitment is delighted to be partnering with a well-established manufacturing business based in Wakefield in their search for an experienced Engineering Manager to join their senior team.This is a genuinely hands-on leadership role for someone who is just as comfortable getting stuck into a technical problem on the shop floor as they are coaching, developing and motivating a team. You'll bring credible engineering knowledge and the people skills to build a strong, capable department around it.The RoleYou'll lead, manage and develop the Engineering function, delivering innovative, cost-effective and high-quality engineering solutions that support the business's product development, manufacturing and strategic objectives.You'll provide hands-on leadership across Engineering, Spray Painting, Automation and Injection Moulding, ensuring resources are effectively integrated and optimised to achieve operational excellence. You'll continually review and develop departmental strategy, aligning it with wider business, production and sales objectives, while driving continuous improvement, innovation and performance — staying close enough to the work to lead by example, and close enough to your people to bring the best out of them.Key ResponsibilitiesTake overall ownership of the Engineering, Spray Painting, Automated Production and Injection Moulding departments, ensuring resources are used effectively to meet business objectivesManage day-to-day operations across the department, making sure work is safely planned, prioritised and delivered in line with customer needsDesign and physically produce jigs, fixtures and other engineering solutions, getting hands-on to solve problems and support productionPlan and deliver engineering projects, product improvements, and the introduction of new equipment or processesChampion continuous improvement across the department, driving efficiency, quality and performance gainsKeep engineering equipment, tools, machinery and stock levels well maintained to ensure maximum reliabilityLine manage a team of 4 engineers, running regular 1-2-1s, performance reviews and succession planning to build a strong, capable teamPartner with Production, Planning, Purchasing, Technical and Logistics to keep activities coordinated and business goals on trackAssess current and future staffing, training and resourcing needs, flagging requirements to senior management as neededMaintain compliance with Health & Safety, Environmental and Quality standards across all engineering activitiesReport regularly on engineering performance, quality metrics, project progress and risk, with recommendations for senior leadershipRepresent Engineering at production, continuous improvement and Health & Safety meetings, offering technical input where neededWhat You'll BringEssentialExperience in precision engineering and manufacturingExperience operating and programming CNC machineryUnderstanding of 2D/3D CAD modellingProficient in press tooling, and the design and hands-on manufacture of jigs and fixturesStrong understanding of engineering principles and best practiceAt least 5 years in a supervisory or leadership role within a manufacturing/logistics environmentStrong knowledge of manufacturing processes, tools and equipmentProven ability to lead and manage a team, with excellent communication, motivational and conflict-resolution skillsDesirableExperience with spray painting processes (gloss, K2)Extrusion saw operation and material preparation experienceProfessional engineering certification (e.g. CEng, IET membership)Experience and knowledge of injection mouldingKnowledge of industry standards such as IPC-A-610, RoHS and ISO 9001How to ApplyApply today with an up-to-date CV for this exciting new Engineering Manager role in Wakefield.