NPI Engineer

New Product Introduction (NPI) Engineer
Location: Send, Woking, Surrey | Salary: £40,000 per annum + production bonus | Permanent
About the Role:
Working within the Design Department and based at our client's Head Office in Woking, the New Product Introduction (NPI) Project Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating and driving the successful delivery of new product development and introduction projects from initial concept through to production launch.

The role of NPI Engineer will establish and maintain effective project management processes, controls and reporting to ensure projects are delivered to agreed timescales, budgets, quality standards and technical requirements. The NPI Project Manager will coordinate and drive cross-functional activities across the business, ensuring that key milestones, dependencies, risks and actions are clearly identified, managed and communicated.

The role will act as a central point of coordination for NPI projects, providing clear visibility of project status, identifying potential issues and driving timely resolution of risks, decisions and actions across all relevant departments.
The role reports to the Head of Design.

What you will be doing:
Project Planning & New Product Introduction (NPI) Responsibilities:
In conjunction with the Head of Design, develop and establish project plans for new products, product enhancements and collaborative development programmes, defining key milestones, deliverables, dependencies, resources and timescales.
Support the delivery of other projects across the wider group, including:
Working with the Technology Exploitation Department (TED) to develop and manage customer-specific project plans.
Managing project activities associated with externally sourced products as part of the Sourced Products programme.
Lead and drive projects through the NPI process, ensuring that activities, milestones, dependencies, risks and actions are actively managed and that projects remain on track to agreed objectives.
The current five-phase NPI process is managed and supported through the Wrike platform.
Maintain accurate, live project plans and provide clear and timely project reporting to the Board of Directors, including progress against key milestones, significant risks, issues, dependencies and required decisions.
Establish and maintain effective project governance, including:
Organising and leading NPI and project review meetings.
Facilitating regular project risk reviews and ensuring appropriate mitigation actions are identified and tracked.
Coordinating key-stage/gate reviews and ensuring project plans are updated to reflect agreed decisions and actions.
Maintaining relevant NPI project documentation and ensuring appropriate version control and availability of project information.
Recording and tracking actions arising from project meetings, ensuring owners and target dates are clearly defined and followed through.
Coordinating prototype and pilot build purchasing plans in conjunction with the Purchasing Department.
Proactively identify risks, issues, resource constraints and dependencies that may impact project delivery, and drive their resolution through the appropriate stakeholders.
Escalate significant project risks, issues and delays to the Head of Design, Project Board or other appropriate stakeholders, ensuring that timely decisions and corrective actions are taken.

Other Responsibilities:
Plan and coordinate the manufacture of prototypes, both in-house and through external suppliers, ensuring prototype requirements are aligned with project milestones and priorities.
Coordinate workload and priorities with Toolroom resource.
Work closely with the Machine Shop Manager to agree manufacturing priorities and resolve capacity or scheduling constraints.
Coordinate with external prototype suppliers where required, ensuring agreed deliverables and timescales are maintained.
Through the embedded Purchaser in the Design Department, establish external supplier lead times and any impact this may have on the critical path.
Coordinate the management and availability of software, firmware and kit list documentation, ensuring the correct information is maintained and accessible to relevant project stakeholders.
Work alongside an embedded Purchaser to establish and monitor external supplier lead times.
Co-ordinate and support the maintenance of Bills of Materials (BOMs).
Coordinate and support prototype test and verification activities.
Coordinate and support CE approval activities.
Triage and coordinate enquiries from stakeholders, ensuring enquiries are directed to the appropriate resource and that responses are provided within agreed timescales.
Periodically support internal and external new product demonstrations, product launches and trade shows as required.
This is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities. Additional duties may be assigned as required to meet the needs of the business.

What our client is looking for:
Experience managing multiple projects concurrently, from initial concept through to manufacturing release and product launch.
Strong project planning and control skills, establishing and maintaining project plans, milestones, dependencies, critical paths and deliverables.
Proactive approach to project management, with the ability to identify potential delays, risks and issues early and take appropriate action to maintain project progress.
Strong cross-functional coordination skills, bringing together Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality, Sales, Product Management and other stakeholders to achieve common project objectives.
Identification, assessment and communication of project risks, establishing appropriate mitigation actions and ensuring ownership is clearly assigned.
Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, managing priorities and maintaining attention to detail across multiple projects.
Clear, concise and confident communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels, including senior management.
Proficient use of project and work management software.
Experience with Wrike or similar platforms would be preferred.
Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office applications.
Experience using MRP and/or ERP systems, with an understanding of how these systems support product development, purchasing, manufacturing and production planning.
A continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to identify opportunities to improve NPI processes, project controls and cross-functional ways of working.
Awareness of statutory and regulatory approval requirements, including CE marking and associated processes. Training will be provided where required.
Ability to work effectively in a technical engineering environment and to understand, interpret and communicate project information without necessarily being the technical subject matter expert.
This is an established role within the business and is available due to the previous postholder progressing to a new opportunity within the organisation. The successful candidate will inherit an established NPI project management framework and will be expected to take ownership of the existing project portfolio while continuing to develop and improve the processes, systems and ways of working that support successful new product introduction.
This provides an opportunity to build on an established foundation while making a meaningful contribution to the continued improvement of the company's NPI capability and project delivery.
What you will be getting:
This is a full time, permanent position, 40 hours per week, and the standard staff working hours are applicable - Monday to Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm with a half hour lunch break, with flexibility on the start and finish times in line with the company's core working hours policy.
The salary for this position is £40,000 per annum;
Additional production bonus, linked to the value of goods invoiced from the UK factory base;
Aviva private pension scheme, in line with Government legislation and guidelines. Currently 5% employee contribution and 3% employer contribution;
24 days holiday per annum (plus additional Bank Holidays);
Benefits available on successful completion of a 6 month probationary period:
BUPA private medical insurance with minimal monthly contributions;
Simply Health Optimise Plus Plan, non-contributory cash back plan for claiming monies back for treatments;
Group Life insurance (Death in Service scheme) equivalent to 2 years' basic salary to next of kin;
Sickness absence pay;
Cycle to Work scheme;
Administration of government childcare vouchers;
Multi-cultural feast day celebrations and charitable opportunities;
Excellent staff facilities:
Free on-site parking, including access to EV car charging points;
Transport to and from the local station;
Free membership of an on-site gym;
Free weekly on-site yoga sessions with a celebrated local yogini;
Free weekly on-site boxercise sessions with an experienced martial artist & instructor.

NPI Manager / NPI Engineer / NPI Engineer / new Product Introduction
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed