Manufacturing Engineer12 Month Fixed-Term ContractSouthampton, Hampshire£45-£50KAn established high-tech manufacturing business based in Southampton is seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to join their Operations Engineering team on a 12-month fixed-term contract.The company designs and manufactures advanced laser technology used across a wide range of industrial applications worldwide. With new products being introduced at pace, this role will play a key part in supporting manufacturing capability, improving processes and ensuring successful product introduction into production.This is a hands-on engineering role, working closely with production, engineering and NPI teams to optimise manufacturing processes, drive continuous improvement and support operational performance.The role is approximately 50% cleanroom based, so experience or comfort working within controlled environments would be beneficial.________________________________________The RoleYou will be responsible for delivering improvements across manufacturing processes, supporting operational teams and ensuring efficient and safe manufacturing practices.Key responsibilities will include:Providing manufacturing engineering support to production and operations teamsDriving continuous improvement activities focusing on quality, cost, and cycle time reductionImplementing lean manufacturing techniques and structured problem solving methodsDesigning and improving manufacturing cell layouts and production flowCreating and maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and manufacturing documentationSupporting the introduction of new technologies and product lines into productionAnalysing manufacturing data to identify improvement opportunitiesSupporting NPI teams to ensure designs are manufacturable and production-readyLeading improvement initiatives across manufacturing cellsConducting risk assessments for new equipment, processes and proceduresInvestigating and resolving manufacturing non-conformances________________________________________Experience RequiredEssential:35 years experience within a Manufacturing Engineering roleExperience with lean manufacturing tools such as value stream mapping and structured problem solving (A3, 8D, DMAIC)Experience analysing manufacturing data and identifying improvement opportunitiesExperience creating work instructions, SOPs or standard work documentationStrong Excel and general IT skillsGood understanding of health & safety within manufacturing environmentsExperience implementing 5SDesirable:Experience working in a cleanroom or controlled environmentFine mechanical or precision assembly experienceSix Sigma Green BeltKnowledge of OEE, capacity planning or takt-based production flowExperience with TPM or Gage R&ROptical fibre handling or fusion/splicing experienceBasic SQL knowledge________________________________________QualificationsDegree qualified in an engineering discipline, or equivalent experience.________________________________________Personal ProfileHighly organised with strong attention to detailProactive and naturally curious, always looking for ways to improve processesStrong structured problem-solving abilityComfortable working in a fast-moving manufacturing environmentAble to communicate effectively across engineering, operations and production teamsAdaptable and able to manage multiple prioritiesJBRP1_UKTJ