Junior Manufacturing Engineer
Sunbury-on-Thames
£30,000-£40,000 + benefits
Permanent, Full-Time
Are you early in your career as a Manufacturing Engineer, keen to develop skills in Lean methodologies, NPI, and electro-mechanical production? We’re recruiting for a Junior Manufacturing Engineer to join a high-specification, low-volume manufacturer operating within a precision engineering environment. Based in Sunbury-on-Thames, this role will suit someone with a hands-on mindset and a desire to learn how to drive process efficiency across engineering and operations teams.
This is a collaborative, cross-functional position where you’ll gain exposure to design engineering, production, supply chain, and continuous improvement. Your main objective is to support senior engineers in developing processes, deploying Lean practices, and driving data-led improvements. You’ll assist in maintaining routings, creating standard work, and supporting layout or tooling changes in line with business requirements.
The Junior Manufacturing Engineer – role is suited to those with a foundation in electro-mechanical manufacturing—ideally within aerospace, defence, automotive or other high-spec sectors—or graduates with relevant industrial placements. A basic understanding of MRP systems and root cause analysis techniques such as 5 Whys, 8D, and PFMEA would be beneficial.
What you’ll be doing:
- Supporting production cells with process improvements and standardisation
- Assisting in the creation and maintenance of routings, SOPs, and work instructions within the MRP system
- Contributing to Lean manufacturing activities such as 5S, visual management, and flow-line optimisation
- Working alongside design and engineering teams to support NPI and product lifecycle changes
- Helping identify potential CAPEX requirements and assisting with improvement projects
- Supporting layout changes and learning best practice process flows
- Collecting and analysing production data to highlight opportunities in throughput, labour content, and scrap
- Assisting cell leaders and shop floor teams with methods, testing, and assembly improvements
What we’re looking for:
- Some experience, placement, or academic background in Manufacturing or Process Engineering
- Awareness of Lean principles and a willingness to develop practical implementation skills
- Interest in supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) projects in a manufacturing setting
- Familiarity with tools such as 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams, PFMEA, SPC or 8D (training provided)
- Basic knowledge of MRP/ERP systems and process documentation
- A proactive, problem-solving approach with a willingness to learn and take on responsibility
- Clear communication skills, with confidence to engage with colleagues across teams
- Background in aerospace, automotive, or another regulated industry would be an advantage
This Junior Manufacturing Engineer position offers excellent development potential within a business committed to growth, Lean transformation, and high-integrity engineering. You’ll gain the skills and experience needed to deliver right-first-time production, reduce lead times, and support operator engagement.
TPA Recruit is a specialist recruitment agency acting on behalf of our client to source and assess suitable candidates for this position. All applications will be reviewed and processed by our team, who will liaise directly with shortlisted individuals throughout the hiring process.
- 2 Years experience
- Excellent Company
- Career Progression