Location: Bridgend (South Wales)
Salary: £45,000
Employment: Full Time (Permanent) Monday – Friday (8am – 4pm)
Our client:
Our client is a specialist manufacturer of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) storage tanks and bespoke composite engineering solutions. With decades of experience, the company designs and manufactures corrosion-resistant tanks, vessels, and environmental systems for demanding industries including water and wastewater, chemical processing, agriculture, and infrastructure.
Using advanced composite manufacturing techniques, including filament winding technology, the company has established a strong reputation for delivering durable, high-quality products tailored to specific industrial requirements.
The role:
We are seeking an experienced process engineer to join the manufacturing team and play a key role in optimising and developing production processes across the business.
This is a hands-on engineering position, working closely with production, quality, and engineering teams to improve manufacturing performance, resolve technical issues, and implement practical solutions. The successful candidate must have a strong manufacturing background, a HNC or HND engineering qualification (or equivalent), and a proactive approach to continuous improvement. Experience within GRP, composites, plastics, or a similar manufacturing environment would be highly advantageous.
Key responsibilities:
* Optimise and develop GRP, composite, and filament winding manufacturing processes, while supporting tooling, fixtures, equipment, production methods, process trials, new product introduction (NPI), and engineering changes
* Investigate production issues and non-conformances, using root-cause analysis and structured problem-solving to improve quality, process consistency, productivity, efficiency, waste, and cost
* Analyse production data to identify continuous improvement opportunities and support the implementation of practical, measurable improvements across the manufacturing operation
* Develop and maintain process specifications, work instructions, manufacturing documentation, PFMEA, risk assessments, control plans, and other quality documentation
* Provide hands-on technical support to production teams and work collaboratively with Production, Quality, Engineering, and Management to resolve issues and promote a culture of continuous improvement
* Ensure manufacturing processes meet required quality, health & safety, and environmental standards
Qualifications & Experience:
Essential:
* HNC or HND in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related discipline
* Previous experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally within a Process Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Production Engineering, or similar role
* Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, practical problem-solving, and continuous improvement, with a proven ability to deliver process improvements and efficiency gains
* Ability to interpret engineering drawings and technical documentation, supported by strong analytical, organisational, and communication skills
* A hands-on, proactive, and solutions-focused approach, with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a wider manufacturing team
Desirable:
* Experience within GRP, composites, plastics, or similar manufacturing environments, with knowledge of filament winding or composite manufacturing
* Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, Six Sigma, or similar continuous improvement methodologies
* Experience with PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, 8D, or other structured problem-solving techniques, as well as supporting NPI or engineering change projects
* Experience with tooling, automation, manufacturing equipment, or production machinery, together with CAD or other engineering software experience
* Knowledge of composite materials, resin systems, reinforcement materials, or curing processes
Skills & Personal Attributes:
The ideal candidate will be practical and hands-on, with the confidence to work effectively on the shop floor, alongside being analytical and solutions-focused with a structured approach to problem-solving. They will be proactive and quality-focused, with strong attention to detail and a genuine drive to improve manufacturing processes and consistency.
Commercial awareness is important, with an understanding of how efficiency, waste, quality, and downtime impact business performance. The successful candidate will also be collaborative and adaptable, comfortable working across production, quality, engineering, and management within a bespoke manufacturing environment, and results-driven with a focus on delivering measurable improvements.
Benefits:
* Private Health Care
* Monthly Bonus Scheme
Salary description
£45000.00 - £45000.00 per year