This is an important role within the engineering team
Responsible to MD
About the Company
With a justifiably proud history stretching back to 1958, this globally recognised leader in OEM hydraulic test and motion simulation systems develops innovative solutions to meet ever more demanding customer testing specifications. Products are sold and installed worldwide via our direct sales and commissioning teams from operations based in UK, USA and China.
Position Overview
This is an important role within the engineering team, requiring a working knowledge of both overall systems and their components and is central in validating the needs of the customer, from pre-sales, through to customer sign off. The role requires good working knowledge of control systems used for medium to large industrial mechanical / hydraulic products.
The Systems Engineer, working collaboratively with other engineering managers, is responsible for ensuring the customer needs are understood and met, and at a systems level manages aspects such as system risk, validation and verification circles, and compliance to regulatory needs.
The role will work closely with sales from pre-sale stages to ensure technical requirements are understood and product capabilities are clearly defined. At early project development stages, to work with mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and software engineering to ensure the requirements are met, and to develop validation metrics for each project enabling production and calibration teams to ensure the specification is met. It is also necessary to provide customer facing documentation throughout the project lifecycle, for example, that demonstrate capability of the system, shows safety concepts and complies with regulations.
The individual will have a working knowledge of systems and strong communication skills, be of a technical discipline and be able to challenge other individual disciplines required to make up the system. They must have a strong ethos surrounding product quality, continuous improvement and have good commercial understanding. This position will suit an individual with a dynamic and enthusiastic personality, who is able to multi-task and prioritise their workload in order to meet time commitments. Excellent interpersonal skills with clear communications (both written and oral) are required to ensure effective transfer of knowledge and understanding.
Must be willing to travel to customer sites around the world as required to provide support and excellence.
Roles and responsibilities:-
- Manages their workload / output to ensure that customer projects meet or exceed the desired performance, function and regulatory requirements.
- Utilise tools and methods, such as system architecture, system modelling and simulation (MATLAB / Simulink), optimisation, system dynamics, systems analysis, reliability analysis, risk analysis and system safety analysis.
- Provide technical support to plan, implement and deliver overall engineering solutions for all customer project lifecycle stages;
- Pre-sales in turning customer requirements into an a technically sound, cost effective system proposal and safety concept(s), to provide an achievable specification.
- Provide engineering assistance to design teams to ensure a successful test system.
- Prepare control databases and test plans for commissioning and acceptance testing.
- Attend project milestone meetings where required to ensure system level parameters are correctly covered and in keeping with the original customer specification.
- Provide engineering assistance to the purchasing department to better meet the needs of the business.
- Provide engineering assistance to production department where needed.
- Carry out and support commissioning activities both in-house and on site.
- Ensure each project’s design and technical documentation is co-ordinated, complete, and compliant with state regulations.
- Provide product training and support to customers and engineers.
- Follow quality management procedures, raise NCR’s where necessary and close out in a timely manner.
- Provide support towards continuous improvement activities.
- Lead some New Product Introduction R&D projects
- Provide support for European and American sales / service needs.
- Build collaborative relationships with stakeholders, key partners, and team members.
- Anticipates and overcomes obstacles with a pragmatic approach to achieve goals and commitments
- Provides technical guidance and support external and internal customers throughout the product life cycle
- Maintains a high level of technical proficiency in the specific knowledge of engineering practices and business principles
- Looks to support wider team members with product training and coaching.
Experience, qualifications and skills
The following is not intended to be an exhaustive list of experience, qualifications and skills, it is meant as an indicative representation. Experience is of greater significance than qualifications.
Experience
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience operating in an engineered-to-order industry
- A minimum of 5 years’ hands on experience in machine hardware / software systems engineering
- Experience with dynamics (mechanics)
Qualifications
- Degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Mechatronic engineering
Skills
- Demonstrable
- Logical / pragmatic, critical thinking with ability to prioritise
- Confident and excellent, clear communication skills able to interact with all levels within the organisation
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Use of MATLAB and Simulink
- Basic understanding and capability to use C# code for testing routines
- Organised with the ability to plan and meet strict deadlines
- The ability to read, analyse and interpret technical data
- The ability to write in a clear and concise manner
- The ability to present technical information clearly to internal and external customers
- To participate positively within cross functional teams
- Software skills: Proficient with Microsoft packages; Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, PLM
Essential basic Functions
- The ability to predictably and regularly attend work and to be punctual
- The ability to read and understand technical documents and drawings
- The ability to deal politely and professionally with customers, co-workers and suppliers
- The ability to perform several tasks at once and establish priorities
- The ability to follow direction or instruction
- The ability to provide error free work in a timely fashion
- The ability to use a computer to communicate, create, and access information
- The ability to travel via commercial airline and automobile up to 10% of the time
- To be presentable to customers in a professional manner
