Npi Engineer

NPI / Production Engineer
Location: Oxfordshire (site based)
Employment: Permanent, full time (0.8 FTE considered)

Overview
An early stage UK deep tech company developing autonomous sensing systems for remote environmental monitoring is seeking its first NPI/Production Engineer. Working closely with R&D and engineering colleagues, you will take evolving designs from prototype through pilot builds and into repeatable, controlled production, owning defined manufacturing processes, tooling, documentation and test activities.

Key Responsibilities

* Coordinate pilot and early production builds, capturing issues, actions and learning between build iterations.

* Provide practical design for manufacture, assembly and test input across optical, mechanical, electronic, fluidic and sensing chemistry interfaces.

* Review designs, bills of materials, specifications and production documentation, identifying manufacturing issues and documentation gaps.

* Develop, document and release assembly, inspection, calibration and end of line test processes.

* Design or specify tooling, jigs, fixtures and test equipment for repeatable production.

* Establish process controls, acceptance criteria, traceability and production records.

* Investigate build and test failures using structured root cause analysis and implement effective corrective actions.

* Work with suppliers and manufacturing partners on process development, component quality and manufacturing transfer.

* Support engineering change control across production documentation, tooling, inventory and supplier processes.

* Maintain a safe, organised production environment, including contamination controls where required.

Requirements

* Typically two or more years’ experience in manufacturing, production engineering or the build and test of a complex technical product.

* Hands on experience assembling, testing and troubleshooting complex technical products.

* Experience creating or improving manufacturing processes, work instructions, fixtures or test methods.

* Experience designing, specifying or manufacturing tooling, jigs, fixtures or test equipment.

* Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications and CAD data, with familiarity with SolidWorks or similar.

* Ability to produce clear work instructions, test procedures, build records and manufacturing reports.

* Ability to own a defined work package, organise priorities and communicate progress clearly.

* HND, degree, apprenticeship or equivalent practical industry experience.

Desirable: Exposure to NPI or pilot builds for multidisciplinary hardware; supplier or contract manufacturer experience; change control and non conformance processes; optical, fluidic or precision instrument manufacture; electronics assembly to IPC standards; PFMEA, control plans, measurement system analysis or design of experiments; willingness to travel to suppliers in the UK and occasionally overseas.

Benefits
Salary of £35,000 to £45,000 depending on skills and experience, employee share option scheme, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, pension with employer contributions matched up to 5%, group life and legacy cover, annual training allowance, paid charity volunteering day, travel to work loan, cycle to work scheme and flexible working where practical