Senior NPI/Manfacturing Engineer

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Sportable is a leading sports technology company on a mission to solve the hardest problems in elite sports using cutting-edge technology. From bare metal to Cloud, Sportable is a multidisciplinary mecca for sports and technology enthusiasts. If you're a Data Scientist, Computer Scientist, Physicist, Sports Scientist, Engineer, business graduate, Graphic Designer, Mechanical Designer, Creative or just passionate about the intersection of elite sports and leading-edge technology, then Sportable is your place.

The demand for Sportable's services has vastly exceeded expectations, and that is why we're hiring! Hardware production volumes are rapidly increasing, so we are looking for a passionate and diligent individual who can support our UK-based manufacturing partners and our R&D team through this learning curve.

Sportable is currently in an exciting growth stage, moving away from a purely R&D and proof-of-concept business towards a scaled business geared for growth. This new stage in the business's lifecycle brings new opportunities as well as challenges in all aspects of the organization.

About the Role

We are now looking for a talented Engineer to help Sportable scale its hardware manufacturing business unit in a sustainable and cost-effective way, enabling us to:

• Increase our production capacity
• Implement rigorous quality control procedures
• Run the industrialisation projects for our new product (new product introduction)

You will work closely with the Manufacturing Team Lead and the Design Engineers (R&D) to ensure that any new product is designed for demand-driven production and can be manufactured efficiently and at a reasonable cost. You will also be involved in designing and improving production processes, selecting and specifying equipment and tools, compliance, and developing work instructions and quality control procedures, constantly focusing on costs and time to market. You will also support the supply chain manager with the development and implementation of production schedules, managing inventory levels, and optimizing logistics and supply chain management.

This is a great opportunity for you to become a part of a talented multidisciplinary engineering team (encompassing Electronics, RF, SW development, all the way from embedded to web frontend, Mechanical, or Data Science engineers) and a chance to step into a highly motivating environment where you can make a direct impact on our world-class customers by solving complex technical problems.

Salary Range

£55,000 to £70,000, annual salary depending on relevant experience.

Place of Work

Our office is located at the StoneX Stadium in Hendon, North-West London.

The role will require you to be at the office on average three days a week (four days during three-month probation).

You will also need to travel to manufacturing partners regularly (mostly in the UK, sometimes abroad).

Responsibilities - (The role will involve, but not be limited to):

• Product Industrialisation / Transfer to Manufacturing

• To be the main interface between the R&D team and our manufacturing partners
• Conduct site visits (in the UK and possibly abroad)
• Lead the introduction of new products into contract manufacturing plants
• Participate in design reviews and positively influence design for manufacturing and assembly at an early stage.
• Lead tooling DFM (design for manufacture) and GA (general assembly) activities.
• Spec and introduce assembly jigs & fixtures and in-line test equipment in partnership with the NPD team and CM.

• Documentation

• Compile, review, approve and maintain all documentation relating to Assembly, Test & QC
• Write and continuously improve manufacturing work instructions
• Control design pack release to CM's (compile, review and release)

• Cost

• Continually assess the product introduction process and identify opportunities to improve consistency and quality whilst optimising the available resources and reducing cost

• Lead technical cost and specification review and support negotiation

• Manufacturing Techniques & Best Practice

Act as technical point of contact for the Contract Manufacturer for all manufacturing queries, tasks and activities (part, process, equipment and tooling)

• Stay abreast of industry developments and technologies
• Define and implement best practice manufacturing techniques - actively seek to introduce best practice principles into new and existing manufacturing sequences.
• Continually seek efficiency and quality improvements within the current manufacturing process.
• Identify and drive cost-down opportunities through material, design and process improvement.

• Data Analysis

• Follow up production KPIs (yield, FTP, throughput, etc.) with the aim of continually improving the process and quality of our products.
• Define production data requirements & lead implementation of data collection.
• Monitor and lead internal reviews of production data.
• Identifying areas for improvement.

• Test (nice to have )

• Lead the development of the required Production Test tools (either by the R&D team or external partners), from their specification to their validation and maintenance once at suppliers

Technical Skills/Past Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years experience in relevant industries and positions.
• Experience working within one of the following industries: Consumer electronics (connected devices), Medical Devices, or Automotive is preferable.

What we need from you:

• Solid understanding of electronics in order to be able to support suppliers through first-level fault finding.
• Comfortable discussing options for mechanical parts manufacturing techniques (Injection Moulding, SMT, CNC, 3D printing, etc.)
• Good grounding in production and electronics engineering. SMT/SMD, etc.
• Broad manufacturing experience across a range of materials and processes.
• In-depth knowledge of standard part and process qualification techniques with the ability to interrogate findings to resolve issues.
• Strong working knowledge of Quality and Manufacturing tools, techniques and theories.
• Demonstrable evidence of ability to apply Lean techniques and methodologies.
• Experience with an electro-mechanical assembly environment.
• Experience working alongside and managing global manufacturing partners across varying time zones and cultures.
• Ability to audit manufacturing plant capability and production lines.
• An ability to set expectations and stay calm and positive under pressure.
• Having worked with products embedding RF functions would be a big +.

Nice to have:

• Experience in a start-up or small/medium company environment.

Personal qualities:

• Natural leadership and ability to bring together the right people at the right time.
• Attention to detail.
• Excellent (Clear and concise) communication skills (Spoken and Written English).
• Excellent time management.
• Hands-on attitude / Technically curious.

• Hunger to learn and for continuous improvement.
• Long-term thinking.
• Good at complex problem-solving.
• Ability to operate independently quickly.

Benefits:

• Cycle to work scheme
• Generous annual leave - 25 days holiday excluding. bank holidays
• Pension Salary Sacrifice
• Flexible working environment - remote / hybrid work
• Cake on your Birthday

• Perkbox after completing your probation
• Team Socials
• Free fruits and Snacks in the office
• Tax-Free Nursery Benefit after completing your probation

Diversity Statement

Sportable is a committed equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from disabled candidates, and those form minority ethnic backgrounds.