Role Summary:
The Production Engineer is the technical right-hand to the Engineering & Production Manager, responsible for maintaining designs and drawings, preparing & maintaining process documentation, and resolving design and process issues on the shop floor. The role acts as the primary liaison between engineering and the factory team, ensuring designs translate cleanly into manufacturable products and that issues identified on the floor are diagnosed, escalated where needed, resolved at a root cause level and that all documentation is updated to ensure the changes are captured.
Role Responsibilities:
- Update mechanical designs, assemblies, and drawings in SolidWorks to support production readiness.
- Prepare clear, accurate work instructions, process documents, assembly procedures, and engineering reports for use by the factory team.
- Design or source any production tools/equipment necessary.
- Act as the primary liaison between the Production Manager and factory team leaders, ensuring two-way communication of priorities, design changes, and floor-level issues.
- Monitor production activity, identify design and process issues as they arise, and document them in a structured way for resolution.
- Diagnose root causes of design, fitment, and process issues; propose and implement fixes including drawing updates, design modifications, and process changes.
- Maintain version control on drawings, BOMs, and process documents so the factory always works to the latest approved revision.
- Report progress, blockers, and unresolved issues to the Production Manager, escalating problems that require additional support to resolve.
- Drive continuous improvement of designs, processes, and documentation as production volumes scale.
Educational Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent qualification with directly relevant industry experience.
- SolidWorks training and experience or formal certification preferred.
Experience:
3-5 years in a mechanical design, production engineering, or manufacturing engineering role. Prior exposure to aviation ground support equipment, bulk fueling equipment, or medium/high volume vehicle/equipment assembly is a strong plus but not a requirement.
Behavioral Skills:
- Communication: Listens carefully and absorbs technical information; communicates ideas, solutions, and instructions clearly to all levels of staff – from shop-floor operators to management.
- Documentation: Strong written skills with the discipline to produce work instructions, process documents, and reports that others can follow without ambiguity.
- Problem-solving: High technical aptitude. Able to visualize concepts, diagnose obvious issues independently, and propose practical solutions rather than escalate every problem.
- Hands-on mindset: Demonstrable ability to physically build, fix, or modify things. Should be able to walk through personal or professional projects they have completed themselves.
- Ownership: Self-driven, organized, and accountable. Comfortable operating in an early-stage manufacturing environment with limited supervision.
Technical Skills:
- Proficiency in SolidWorks: capable of modelling new parts and assemblies, modifying existing designs, and creating and updating production drawings to engineering standards.
- Practical understanding of manufacturing techniques and shop-floor equipment (machining, welding, fabrication, assembly) - able to identify the right tool for the job. Hands on experience with these machines would be preferred.
- Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel) for documentation and reporting. Familiarity with PDM/PLM or ERP systems is an advantage.
