Senior Design Engineer - Vehicle Body / Transport Design

Job Profile for Senior Vehicle Body Design Engineer 47527



Senior Design Engineer - Vehicle Body / Transport Design

Position: Senior Design Engineer - Vehicle Body / Transport Design
Location: Elland, West Yorkshire / Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
Salary: Up to £60,000 + 20% bonus
Working Arrangement: Site based, with travel between sites
Employment Type: Permanent

A Senior Design Engineer is required for our client, a leading UK vehicle body manufacturer with over 900 employees across 12 sites nationwide.

This is a newly created senior-level opportunity, providing technical leadership to a junior Design Engineer while taking responsibility for design activities across the Elland and Stoke-on-Trent manufacturing sites.

The role will initially be based predominantly in Elland for approximately six months, before becoming more evenly split between Elland and Stoke-on-Trent. Occasional travel to Milton Keynes and Bradford will also be required.

The business specialises in commercial vehicle bodies and transport-related products, with the Design team using SolidWorks to produce designs and manufacturing drawings, including work around Volvo chassis drawings.

Senior Design Engineer Job Overview

Lead vehicle body and transport-related design projects from concept through to manufacture

Produce detailed 3D models and 2D manufacturing drawings using SolidWorks

Interpret chassis and vehicle manufacturer drawings and understand packaging and vehicle integration

Design vehicle bodies, structures, panels, brackets, assemblies and fabricated components

Manage BOMs, drawing revisions and engineering documentation

Work closely with manufacturing, production and workshop teams to resolve design and build issues

Liaise with fabricators, bodybuilders, vehicle manufacturers and suppliers

Support prototype builds, first-off builds and engineering changes

Ensure designs meet relevant legislation, safety and industry requirements

Provide technical guidance to a junior Design Engineer

Support cost reduction, standardisation and continuous improvement

Senior Design Engineer Job Requirements

Proven experience as a Design Engineer / Senior Design Engineer within vehicle body, transport, automotive, capital equipment or a similar manufacturing environment

Strong SolidWorks experience

Good understanding of 2D manufacturing drawings and drawing standards

Experience designing fabricated, welded and sheet metal components

Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and design for manufacture

Understanding of fabrication, hydraulics, electrical systems and vehicle integration

Experience taking engineering projects from concept through to completion

Practical experience working with production and workshop teams

Knowledge of vehicle weights, type approval and compliance would be advantageous

Experience with commercial vehicles, specialist vehicles, municipal vehicles or highway maintenance equipment would be highly desirable

ERP experience, particularly with engineering data and BOM management, would be advantageous

HNC/HND, degree or equivalent qualification in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design or a related discipline would be advantageous

What We're Looking For

We're looking for a practical and commercially aware Senior Design Engineer who can do more than simply produce CAD designs. You'll work closely with manufacturing teams, suppliers and internal stakeholders to develop practical, manufacturable solutions and take ownership of projects through to completion.

The successful candidate will be confident supporting junior engineers, managing multiple projects and working across different manufacturing sites.

Senior Design Engineer Salary & Benefits

Salary: Up to £60,000

Bonus: Up to 20%

Company vehicle: Company vehicle provided, including electric BMW models such as the iX3

Fuel/electric charging: Costs covered, including home EV charging installation where applicable

Holiday: 28 days including bank holidays, plus Christmas shutdown

Working hours: 40 hours per week

Flexible start/finish: Start between 6am and 9am, provided 40 hours are completed

Location: Elland initially, then split between Elland and Stoke-on-Trent

Travel: Regular travel between sites, with occasional visits to Milton Keynes and Bradford

Bennett and Game Recruitment are a multi-disciplined technical recruitment agency based in Chichester, West Sussex operating across a range of industries. We are acting as a Recruitment Agency in relation to this vacancy, and in accordance with GDPR by applying you are granting us consent to process your data, contact you about the services we offer, and submit your CV for the role you have applied for.

Bennett and Game Recruitment are a multi-disciplined technical recruitment agency based in Chichester, West Sussex operating across the UK with specialist teams covering a range of industries.

We are acting as a Recruitment Agency in relation to this vacancy, and in accordance with GDPR by applying you are granting us consent to process your data, contact you about the services we offer, and submit your CV for the role you have applied for.