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Mechanical Design Manager – Special Purpose Machinery & Automation

? Basildon, Essex (On-site, 5 days per week)
? £50,000 – £60,000 per year (DOE)
? Full-time | Permanent

The Opportunity

A well-established and growing specialist in special purpose machinery and automation is looking to appoint a Mechanical Design Manager at their Basildon site. This is a key leadership role within the engineering function, responsible for managing and developing a team of 4–5 Mechanical Design Engineers, driving high-quality output across multiple machine-build projects.

This role is 100% on-site (Monday to Friday) with no hybrid working available, due to the hands-on nature of the projects and close collaboration required with manufacturing and assembly.

Key Responsibilities

As Mechanical Design Manager, you will:

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Lead, mentor and develop a team of 4–5 Mechanical Design Engineers

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Manage workload planning, prioritisation and delivery across multiple projects

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Oversee the full mechanical design lifecycle from concept through to manufacture and commissioning

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Ensure mechanical designs meet functional, safety and manufacturing requirements

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Work closely with Project Managers, Electrical Design, Manufacturing, Assembly and Purchasing

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Drive best practice in design standards, documentation, BOM accuracy and revision control

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Support continuous improvement across design tools, processes and engineering outputs

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Participate in design reviews and provide technical sign-off where required

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a strong mechanical design leader with hands-on technical experience in automation and machinery design.

Essential

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Proven experience managing or leading a mechanical design team (or stepping up into management)

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Strong mechanical design background within special purpose machinery, automation, robotics, conveyors or industrial equipment

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Ability to drive output and quality across a fast-paced engineering environment

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Confident communicator with strong organisational and leadership skills

Desirable

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Experience using Autodesk Inventor

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Experience with Vault / PDM / revision control systems

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Knowledge of design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA)

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Experience working closely with shop floor, build and commissioning teams

✅ Other CAD package experience will be considered (SolidWorks, Creo, Catia, etc.), but Inventor/Vault exposure is a strong advantage