Advanced Engineering Lead
Unipart · Direct employer
Senior Advanced Engineering Lead - Advanced Manufacturing Scale-Up (assembly with electrification and injection moulding inputs)
Coventry
Up to £70,000 plus car/car allowance, 33 days holiday (including bank holidays), pension, bonus, life assurance, employee assistance programme, wellbeing support, and flexible benefits including cycle to work scheme
About the Role
Unipart Manufacturing is launching a flagship, fast-paced manufacturing project in Coventry, combining high-volume electrification assembly with complex injection moulding inputs. Fully aligned with Unipart’s Sector and Growth Strategy and The Unipart Way Forward Plan, this critical project will scale from zero to over 200 employees within just four months. We are seeking a high-calibre Senior Advanced Engineering Leader (Engineering Manager) with deep technical expertise in electrification and injection moulding assembly. Reporting directly to senior executive leadership, you will drive operational engineering strategy, building a high-performing engineering capability from the ground up.
As part of your key responsibilities you’ll focus on:
Engineering Strategy and NPI - Lead the operational engineering strategy, capital equipment/tooling investments, plant layouts, and NPI processes to ensure fast-paced project delivery
Electrification and Moulding Technical Delivery - Direct process control, equipment care (TPM), and engineering solutions across high-volume electrification assembly lines and polymer/injection moulding inputs
Quality and QCD Performance - Maintain best-practice tooling and process specifications to hit quality, cost, and delivery (QCD) targets, maintaining zero-defect and right-first-time engineering standards
Lean Culture and The Unipart Way - Embed Unipart Way systems, root-cause problem-solving (FMEA), continuous improvement tools, and standardised processes across the engineering team
Compliance and Standards - Oversee process control adherence, safety rules, AQAP 2110 / AS9100D, and ISO 14001 / Def Stan 00-056 standards, ensuring full engineering compliance, configuration management, and defense requirements across all production lines
Change Management - This is a fast-paced, evolving project where your scope will grow alongside the initiative itself - while core deliverables are clear, flexibility is key - you’ll have the opportunity to shape processes, adapt to changing priorities, and directly influence the project's direction as it unfolds
About You
We’d love you to have the following skills and experience, but please apply if you think you’d be able to perform well in this role!
Engineering Leadership - Proven track record managing an engineering department or senior engineering function, ideally within the Defence sector
Quality and Systems Background - Defence or Aerospace manufacturing background (MoD / NATO supply chain) with experience operating under AQAP 2110 or AS9100D frameworks
Line Validation and Inspection - Experience with First Article Inspection Reports (FAIR / AS9102) and formal defense line-validation processes (AS9145 or Def Stan 05-61)
Configuration and Safety Management - Knowledge of Defence Configuration Management standards and Safety Risk Assessment frameworks like Def Stan 00-056 or POEMS (Project Environment and Safety Management System)
Qualifications - Undergraduate degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or Production), Science, or equivalent demonstrable experience; FMEA/Lean Six Sigma expertise is highly desirable
About Unipart
We are a supply chain performance improvement partner. We Design, Make, Move, and Improve components in our customers’ supply chains, keeping their operations and assets moving and working better, for longer. Through our commitment to continuously driving operational efficiencies, we improve performance - saving time, cost, and carbon. Our ambition is to be the driving force behind efficient, resilient, and sustainable supply chains.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We believe that a great workplace is one where you can bring your whole self to work. Our recruitment process is designed to be accessible, inclusive, and based entirely on merit. We define merit through a combination of technical skills and the core behaviours that help our people thrive at Unipart. We welcome applications from everyone, regardless of background or circumstances. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity that exceeds our statutory obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and subsequent legislation. Whether it’s your age, disability, neurodiversity, gender identity, family status, or any other characteristic that makes you ‘you’ - it is your talent and potential that we value most. Adjustments for you: We want you to perform at your best. If you require any reasonable adjustments or have specific accessibility needs at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know. We are here to support you.
You may have experience in or be interested in the following: engineering manager, manufacturing engineering manager, process engineering manager, senior engineer, engineering lead, principal engineer, quality engineering manager, production engineering manager, technical manager, NPI engineering manager
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