Design Manager

Elevation Recruitment have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Design Manager to lead a talented mechanical design team within a highly successful engineering and manufacturing business.

This is a key leadership position, responsible for driving the delivery of complex, bespoke engineering projects from concept through to manufacture. You'll combine hands-on technical expertise with team leadership, ensuring high-quality engineering solutions are delivered on time, within budget, and to customer specification.

Working closely with Sales, Applications, Project Management, Manufacturing and Customers, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping product development, supporting business growth, and championing engineering excellence.

• Lead, mentor and develop a team of Design Engineers, driving performance, engagement and continuous improvement.
• Take ownership of design delivery across multiple projects, ensuring technical accuracy, quality and adherence to project schedules.
• Review, approve and sign off engineering designs prior to release.
• Ensure designs are developed in line with customer requirements, technical specifications and industry standards.
• Act as the technical authority for your designated product area, providing expert guidance and resolving complex engineering challenges.
• Support capacity planning and resource allocation across the design function.

• Provide technical support during pre-sales activities, helping to assess project feasibility and develop solutions.
• Work closely with customers to finalise specifications and resolve technical queries.
• Attend customer meetings and site visits as required, providing engineering expertise throughout the project lifecycle.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify and mitigate technical risks.

• Drive engineering best practice, technical development and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure robust design review processes are followed throughout project delivery.
• Oversee the production of accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs), purchasing specifications and manufacturing documentation.
• Support the development of design standards, processes and engineering methodologies.
• Participate in project reviews, manufacturing feedback sessions and lessons learned activities to continually improve future project delivery.

• Coach and mentor engineers, identifying training and development opportunities.
• Conduct performance reviews, development discussions and regular feedback sessions.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance engineering culture focused on quality, innovation and customer satisfaction.

We're looking for a proven engineering leader who combines strong technical capability with excellent people management skills.

You will ideally have:

• Degree or HND qualification in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Significant experience in mechanical design within a manufacturing or machinery environment.
• Proven leadership experience managing and developing engineering teams.
• Strong 3D CAD experience, ideally using Autodesk Inventor or SolidWorks.
• Experience designing complex machinery, industrial equipment or bespoke engineered systems.
• Strong understanding of sheet metal fabrication, mechanisms and design for manufacture.
• Experience designing from first principles.
• A background working within project-based engineering environments.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Knowledge of engineering standards, risk assessments and machinery safety requirements.
• Flexibility to travel within the UK and internationally when required.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing engineering business where you'll have genuine influence over product development, engineering strategy and team performance. You'll play a key role in delivering innovative engineering solutions while helping shape the future direction of the design function.

For more information, please contact Steve Barnett or Jack Heffren