Lead Design Engineer

Lead Design Engineer

Location: Blackburn, Lancashire
Salary: £45,000 - £50,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Working Pattern: Office based - 1pm finish every Friday

A growing engineering business based in Blackburn is looking to appoint a Lead Design Engineer into a newly created position.

This is not a replacement hire. The Lead Design Engineer role has been created due to increased workload, a strong order book, and continued business growth.

With the Engineering Director currently overseeing both strategic engineering direction and day-to-day design activity, there is now a need for an experienced design professional to take ownership of project delivery, support the design team, and help ensure engineering projects are completed efficiently, accurately, and on time.

This position sits between the Engineering Director and the Design Team, giving the successful Lead Design Engineer the opportunity to remain technically hands-on while also taking a key role in coordinating and guiding design activity across live projects.

The Role

This is a hands-on design leadership role. You will still be involved in technical design work, but you will also act as the main point of support for the Design Team on live engineering projects.

As Lead Design Engineer, you will help ensure design work is delivered to specification, within scope, and in line with project timescales.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and coordinating design activity across multiple engineering projects
• Supporting, guiding, and mentoring Design Engineers on technical delivery
• Acting as the link between the Engineering Director and the Design Team
• Reviewing design work and helping maintain engineering standards
• Ensuring designs are completed accurately, on time, and to specification
• Supporting project delivery from concept through to manufacture
• Helping improve design processes, workflows, and internal engineering standards
• Remaining hands-on with mechanical design work when required
• Working closely with internal departments to ensure practical, manufacturable design solutions

What We’re Looking For

This role would suit someone with a strong background in capital equipment, special purpose machinery, fabricated equipment, automated machinery, process equipment, or bespoke engineered systems.

You may currently be working as a Senior Design Engineer, Lead Mechanical Design Engineer, Principal Design Engineer, Design Team Leader, Mechanical Design Lead, Project Design Engineer, or Mechanical Design Engineer read to take a step up.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience in a senior, lead, or project-focused mechanical design role
• A background in capital equipment, machinery design, automation, or special purpose machinery
• Strong mechanical design and practical engineering knowledge
• The ability to balance hands-on design work with team coordination
• Experience supporting or guiding other Design Engineers
• A good understanding of manufacturing processes and design for manufacture
• The ability to work in a fast-paced, project-led engineering environment
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to act as a technical point of contact

Why This Lead Design Engineer Role Stands Out

This is a newly created position with genuine scope to make an impact.

You will not be stepping into an existing role with fixed ways of working. Instead, you will have the opportunity to help shape how design projects are delivered, how the design team is supported, and how engineering standards continue to develop as the business grows.

Benefits and reasons to apply include:

• Salary of £45,000 - £50,000 per annum
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Early finish at 1pm every Friday
• Newly created position
• Clear opportunity to influence design project delivery
• Strong order book and long-term project pipeline
• Real progression potential as the business continues to grow
• Hands-on technical design role with added leadership responsibility
• Stable, growing engineering business

Location and Commute

This office-based role is located in Blackburn and is commutable from surrounding areas including Darwen, Accrington, Burnley, Preston, Chorley, Leyland, Clitheroe, Nelson, Rossendale, Bolton, Bury, Wigan, Ribble Valley, and parts of Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Interested?

If you are looking to step into a leadership role, or you are already operating as a Lead Design Engineer and want more influence over project delivery, this could be a strong next step.

Apply now or get in touch for a confidential conversation.