Production Engineer

Production Engineer
Location: Whitstable, Kent

The Production Engineer is responsible for supporting manufacturability, production readiness, and production efficiency for new and existing products, with a particular focus on New Product Development and New Product Introduction (NPD/NPI).

The role supports the transition of products from design into stable, repeatable production by working closely with engineering, design, production, quality, and supply chain teams. This includes contributing to manufacturing feasibility reviews, process definition, pilot builds, standard work, jigs and fixtures, and continuous improvement activity.

Reporting directly to the Senior Production Engineer, the Production Engineer acts as a hands-on technical resource, supporting the delivery of robust manufacturing processes while balancing design intent, regulatory requirements, practical production needs, quality standards, and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Design for Manufacturability (DFM / DFA):

• Collaborate with the design engineering team to review and optimise product designs for manufacturability and assembly.

• Provide feedback and recommendations to ensure that new products are designed for efficient, repeatable production and assembly.

• Support manufacturing feasibility reviews and production readiness activity during NPD/NPI projects.

Prototype Development and Pilot Runs (prototype to production, Alpha / Beta testing etc.):

• Support the planning and execution of prototype and pilot production runs for new products, ensuring alignment with design specifications, quality requirements, and regulatory expectations.

• Work closely with the Senior Production Engineer, Production Managers, and production teams during pilot runs to identify, resolve, and escalate operational challenges.

Process Optimisation:

• Support the development and implementation of efficient manufacturing processes to reduce cycle time and waste while enhancing product quality and process reliability.

• Contribute to standard work, process flow, and route-to-production improvements to support stable and repeatable manufacturing.

Jigs and Fixtures Development:

• Support the design, development, and implementation of jigs and fixtures to enhance the efficiency, consistency, and accuracy of manufacturing processes.

• Ensure that jigs and fixtures are used effectively within production operations to minimise handling time and improve assembly quality.

Collaboration with Supply Chain:

• Coordinate with supply chain and other relevant teams to support first-off samples, initial production runs, and supplier-related production readiness activity.

Manufacturing Documentation (SOP):

• Create and maintain comprehensive manufacturing documentation, including assembly instructions, SOPs, work instructions, process sheets, and related controls in line with quality procedures.

• Work closely with the Quality Department to ensure that manufacturing processes and outputs meet established quality standards.

• Ensure that production teams have clear guidance for building products efficiently, consistently, and to the required quality standards.

Continuous Improvement Initiatives:

• Identify, support, and implement continuous improvement projects aimed at enhancing production efficiency, process reliability, safety, and product quality.

• Collaborate with compliance, quality, technical, and production teams to ensure that products and processes meet regulatory and quality standards.

Equipment Optimisation:

• Recommend and support the implementation of manufacturing technologies, equipment, tooling, or process improvements to enhance production capability.

Shop Floor Layouts and Factory Optimisation:

• Create, maintain, and support the development of shop floor layout drawings that clearly define equipment, machinery, workstations, material flow, access requirements, and key services.

• Support factory layout optimisation and reconfiguration activity to improve safety, workflow, space utilisation, capacity, and production efficiency.

• Work with production, maintenance, facilities, and engineering teams to ensure proposed layout changes consider machine requirements, services, utilities, handling methods, and future operational flexibility.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Contribute to PFMEA activity for production-relevant areas, supporting the identification and mitigation of process risks.

• Participate in regular cross-functional meetings with Engineering, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Compliance teams to align on NPD projects, production issues, and process improvements.

• Support a collaborative working environment across engineering, design, production, and quality teams to ensure effective communication and alignment on project objectives.

Essential Experience

• 2+ years of experience in production engineering, manufacturing engineering, or a closely related practical engineering role.

• Hands-on experience troubleshooting manufacturing issues and supporting improvements to process reliability, quality, safety, or efficiency.

• Experience creating, maintaining, or working with manufacturing documentation such as SOPs, work instructions, assembly

guidance or process sheets.

• Good understanding of production processes, practical manufacturing constraints, and continuous improvement principles.

• Ability to work cross-functionally with production, engineering, quality, supply chain, and other operational teams.

Essential Qualifications

• HND. Apprenticeship, technical qualification or equivalent practical experience in a relevant engineering or manufacturing field.

Why Join Swegon?

At Swegon, we work to create the world's best indoor climate solutions that help people thrive. We are committed to sustainability, energy efficiency, gender equality, and achieving carbon neutrality.

We offer:

• The opportunity to work for a leading global HVAC business.

• A collaborative and supportive working environment.

• Exciting challenges and career development opportunities.

• A culture built on our core values of Customer Empathy, Trust, and Commitment.

• An open and flexible organisation with short decision-making processes.

• A strong focus on employee wellbeing and work-life balance.

• A commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities.

Right to Work

Please note that applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. Unfortunately, Swegon is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position and therefore cannot consider applications from candidates who require sponsorship now or in the future. We are also unable to consider applications from candidates currently based outside of the UK or those who would need to relocate in order to undertake this role.

(Please note that we are not looking to use any agencies to fill this vacancy)

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