Product Development Engineering Manager

Job description

“Advanced Manufacturing – Automotive / Aerospace OEM Focus”

South Wales / Some Flexibility – on site as required

Up to £75,000 Base Salary + Bonus + Benefits

(Relocation Assistance may be available)

Our client is an integral part of an international, market leading engineering solutions provider with over 20 operations in 10 countries. Working out of a specialist design, development, test and manufacturing facility in South Wales, the business is benefiting from substantial capital investment. It is currently undergoing a rapid phase of expansion and is at the forefront of “state-of-the-art” developments in technologically sustainable, innovative and resilient solutions for a highly demanding global customer base that spans Land Vehicle, Aerospace and Industrial markets.

Reporting to the Engineering Director, this is a highly customer-facing role, combining strong technical leadership with commercial awareness. You will lead the development of innovative new products in close collaboration with customers and will also act as a technical ambassador for the business, helping to identify opportunities, shape product concepts, and translate customer requirements into robust, manufacturable engineering solutions.

The Role

• Provide “hands on” technical leadership for the end-to-end development of new products from concept through to production
• Translate customer needs into clear technical requirements and product specifications
• Drive innovative solutions, ensure designs meet performance, quality, cost, regulatory and manufacturability requirements
• Oversee design reviews, validation plans, testing and product sign-off
• Act as a primary technical interface with key OEM customers
• Present and “sell” the company’s engineering capabilities and technical solutions
• Collaborate with customers to co-develop new products and technologies
• Support commercial teams in technical proposals, tenders and customer presentations
• Build long-term, trusted relationships with engineering and procurement stakeholders
• Identify emerging trends across our system solutions, expertise and applications
• Proactively generate new product ideas aligned with market and customer needs
• Contribute to the innovation of company’s product roadmap and technology strategy
• Benchmark competitor technologies and industry best practice
• Work closely with manufacturing, quality, sales and programme teams
• Provide technical guidance, leadership and mentoring to engineers within the team
• Manage multiple development projects in parallel, ensuring delivery to time and budget
• Be the technical expert support at trade shows, exhibitions and other industry events

The Candidate

• Degree-qualified in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline
• Significant experience in product development combined with proven experience of working within land vehicle automotive and/or aerospace OEMs
• Strong customer-facing skills with the ability to build trusted relationships and communicate complex technical concepts clearly
• Demonstrated ability to lead product development from concept to production that meet customer and market needs
• Commercial awareness and ability to support sales and business development activities
• Experience in systems engineering and requirements management
• Knowledge of automotive/aerospace standards and regulatory frameworks
• Project management experience
• A strong company ambassador - confident, credible and professional in front of customers
• Innovative, curious and passionate about engineering solutions
• A motivated self-starter who is able to work on own initiative
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills
• Commercially minded with a customer-first mindset and an entrepreneurial approach towards increasing the pipeline of innovative product concept creation and opportunities
• Able to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Strong people management and collaboration skills; able to a make a positive impact on company reputation as a leading engineering & technology partner
• Maintain high standards of Health and Safety: - safe working practices and support environmental initiatives
• Demonstrate superior presentation, communication and attention to detail skills
• Conversant with tools & processes – FEA,DFMEA, FMEA etc - IT Skills, including Microsoft 365
• Available and prepared to undertake international travel on an occasional basis

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Greater Cardiff Area

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

08-03-2026

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English