Manufacturing Engineer 12 Month Fixed-Term Contract Southampton, Hampshire An 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 Role You 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 teams • Driving continuous improvement activities focusing on quality, cost, and cycle time reduction • Implementing lean manufacturing techniques and structured problem solving methods • Designing and improving manufacturing cell layouts and production flow • Creating and maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and manufacturing documentation • Supporting the introduction of new technologies and product lines into production • Analysing manufacturing data to identify improvement opportunities • Supporting NPI teams to ensure designs are manufacturable and production-ready • Leading improvement initiatives across manufacturing cells • Conducting risk assessments for new equipment, processes and procedures • Investigating and resolving manufacturing non-conformances ________________________________________ Experience Required Essential: • 3–5 years’ experience within a Manufacturing Engineering role • Experience with lean manufacturing tools such as value stream mapping and structured problem solving (A3, 8D, DMAIC) • Experience analysing manufacturing data and identifying improvement opportunities • Experience creating work instructions, SOPs or standard work documentation • Strong Excel and general IT skills • Good understanding of health & safety within manufacturing environments • Experience implementing 5S Desirable: • Experience working in a cleanroom or controlled environment • Fine mechanical or precision assembly experience • Six Sigma Green Belt • Knowledge of OEE, capacity planning or takt-based production flow • Experience with TPM or Gage R&R • Optical fibre handling or fusion/splicing experience • Basic SQL knowledge ________________________________________ Qualifications • Degree qualified in an engineering discipline, or equivalent experience. ________________________________________ Personal Profile • Highly organised with strong attention to detail • Proactive and naturally curious, always looking for ways to improve processes • Strong structured problem-solving ability • Comfortable working in a fast-moving manufacturing environment • Able to communicate effectively across engineering, operations and production teams • Adaptable and able to manage multiple priorities