Engineering Manager

ROLE OVERVIEW: 

• Lead the Engineering Design Office, managing engineering projects, technical standards, design processes and resources while ensuring that designs meet customer requirements, safety standards, manufacturing capabilities, quality and cost objectives.

Minimum requirements:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Mechanical, Automotive, Mechatronic, Industrial or a related Engineering discipline.
• Minimum 3–5 years’ experience in engineering project management and team leadership.
• Essential experience in Lean Manufacturing and Sheet Metal.
• Experience in the automotive, vehicle conversion or manufacturing industry.
• Strong practical experience in product design and development.
• Sound understanding of engineering drawings and manufacturing processes.
• Competence in CAD and controlled engineering-data environments.
• SolidWorks, PLM/PDM, welding and fabrication experience advantageous.
• Exposure to prototyping, New Product Introduction (NPI), DFMEA, DFMA and structured design reviews advantageous.
• Strong project, resource and people management skills.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Manage the day-to-day operation of the Engineering Design Office.
• Allocate engineering projects, tasks and resources according to business requirements, technical complexity and available capacity.
• Monitor project progress, milestones, deliverables, workloads and potential risks.
• Coordinate project requirements and engineering deliverables with Sales, Operations, Production, Quality, Procurement and Programme Management.
• Conduct regular project reviews and ensure delays are escalated and corrective actions implemented.
• Provide technical oversight of mechanical components, vehicle modifications, CAD designs, materials, welding, fabrication and manufacturing processes.
• Ensure engineering designs meet customer requirements, functionality, safety, cost and manufacturing standards.
• Oversee engineering calculations, structural assessments, material reviews, prototypes and vehicle testing.
• Ensure compliance with applicable OEM specifications, vehicle regulations, SANS, UNECE, ISO and internal engineering standards.
• Lead formal design reviews and approve progression when technical requirements and supporting evidence are satisfactory.
• Ensure accurate and controlled CAD models, engineering drawings, bills of materials (BOMs), manufacturing specifications and assembly instructions.
• Manage engineering changes, drawing revisions, configuration control and the withdrawal of obsolete documentation.
• Maintain CAD/PLM standards, drawing numbers, file structures and engineering data.
• Ensure Production and Procurement work with the latest approved engineering documentation.
• Support prototype manufacturing, production trials, initial builds and engineering problem-solving.
• Provide technical support to Production and Quality regarding drawings, fitment, fabrication, material deviations and product failures.
• Investigate engineering-related quality issues and identify root causes.
• Support Procurement and suppliers with technical specifications, drawing clarification, material assessments and alternative component evaluations.
• Drive design-to-cost and value-engineering initiatives through material optimisation, component standardisation and manufacturing improvements.
• Lead, coach and develop Design Engineers, Product Engineers and Draughtsmen.
• Set performance expectations, delegate responsibilities and ensure accountability for engineering quality and project delivery.
• Identify skills gaps and training requirements and develop the technical capabilities of the engineering team.
• Promote engineering standards, cross-functional collaboration and continuous improvement.