Manufacturing Engineer – Paint

Manufacturing Engineer – Paint

Newton Aycliffe

£ Competitive

The DRVN Automotive Group are recruiting for a Manufacturing Engineer to oversee the Paint manufacturing process for a leading automotive company with stunning build workshops based in Newton Aycliffe. The Manufacturing Engineer will provide safe documented control systems, designed to facilitate Automotive manufacturing paint processes and methods, with a “Right First Time” methodical approach and a focus on quality.

Our client is experiencing a period of rapid growth having secured a long-term contract to build some of Ford Motor Company’s most historically significant icons. This role will suite a highly desirable car enthusiast, working for a company of fellow enthusiasts.

Overview of the Role

Manufacturing Engineer - Paint

Salary – £ Competitive DOE

Holidays: 33 Days

Pension

Employee Referral Scheme

40 hours per week Monday-Friday (early finish each Friday afternoon)

Location – Newton Aycliffe, just off the A1(M)

Ability to travel to Coventry 1 day per week

Company Overview

The DRVN Automotive Group are a sector leading automotive group, specialising in the design, manufacture, and distribution of luxury automotive brands, recognised globally for our commitment to innovation, quality, and engineering, centred around a world-class customer experience.

The DRVN group have made some major recent announcements to launch some of Ford Motor Company’s most historically significant icons kick starting with the RS200 and MK1 Escort, giving engineers an amazing platform to not only showcase their engineering and design skills across various disciplines, but to work on the most amazing modernisation programmes ever to be seen.

Situated in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, our North -East Site boasts a state-of-the-art production facility spanning 40,000 square feet. Equipped with specialised workshop bays dedicated to fabrication, bodywork and paint, our facility stands as a testament to our commitment to precision and quality. As we surge ahead, production at our facility is poised for rapid expansion throughout 2025, reflecting our unwavering dedication to growth and innovation.

Responsibilities

• Company Policies: Manage and follow the quality, health, safety, and all policies of the company
  
  
• Serve in a cross-functional environment with engineering, manufacturing, sourcing, product management and suppliers to optimise manufacturability
  
  
• Design, implement, and optimise hand painting techniques tailored to low-volume, high-value vehicles, focusing on precision, aesthetic quality, and durability.
  
  
• Ensure consistent application of custom finishes, such as special colour-matching, blending, and detailing techniques, while maintaining production schedules and quality standards
  
  
• Ensure all painting tools (e.g., spray guns, brushes, and detailing equipment) are properly maintained, calibrated, and controlled for the hand painting process
  
  
• Manage and maintain paint booth environments, controlling temperature, humidity, and air quality to control the paint application process and curing time to meet production takt times
  
  
• Provide technical support to the production team, quickly identifying and resolving issues related to surface preparation, paint application, and curing processes.
  
  
• Collaborate with the quality team to investigate root causes of defects and develop solutions to ensure the highest quality finish on each vehicle
  
  
• Lead the development of custom paint techniques (e.g., airbrushing, fade effects, metallic and pearlescent coatings) for bespoke customer or design requests.
  
  
• Work with the design team to understand specific paint requirements, ensuring that customer preferences are integrated into the manufacturing process
  
  
• Ensure compliance with safety protocols in the paint preparation and painting process, including the handling of chemicals, solvents, and waste materials.
  
  
• Implement and enforce safety measures, such as proper ventilation, personal protective equipment (PPE), and paint booth maintenance, to ensure a safe working environment
  
  
• Prepare capital expenditure estimates for new product and existing product change by evaluation of equipment and tooling costs
  
  
• Implementation and CI of documentation, production tooling, equipment, and operator training to meet standards and final sign-off requirements
  
  
• Procure equipment, and materials through internal purchasing system
  
  
• Document and concepts that include specification of equipment and make recommendations for the technical selection of purchased equipment
  
  
• Introduce lean manufacturing principles to optimise effectiveness of the manufacturing operations
  
  
• Support AME by Identifying, investigating, testing, and validating new innovative process technology and work methods to be implemented
  
  
• Serve as a critical supplier to Manufacturing/Production, understanding their needs and able to effectively communicate to contain and resolve concerns and issues
  
  
• Provide support to less experienced process engineers
  
  
• May mentor other team members
  
  
• Implement 5S initiatives.
  
  Essential Skills
  
  HNC qualification or equivalent in Manufacturing engineering or equivalent
  
  3-5 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, focusing on hand painting, paint preparation, or custom finishes for low-volume, high-value vehicles or luxury products. Strong background covering Manufacturing Engineering principles
  
  Strong understanding of paint materials, surface preparation, and paint application techniques.
  
  Proficient in using Microsoft Packages
  
  Be a strong advocate for Quality in the company and outside, with suppliers and other stakeholders
  
  An understanding of industry and regulatory requirements such Quality System Regulations (IATF16949, ISO9001, 5S, TPM, KPI’s)
  
  Experienced in generating standard work instructions, man assignments and process flows
  
  Able to identify risks, use problem-solving techniques, develop, and safely implement new processes within a production and manufacturing environment
  
  Experience with BOM’s and Change Management processes
  
  Understand lean manufacturing and 5S principles
  
  Proven ability to liaise and communicate with other departments, suppliers, and other service providers
  
  Lean experience and able to manage CI projects
  
  Ability to manage one’s own time and prioritise workload accordingly across multiple projects
  
  Be an effective team member, working with colleagues to ensure smooth workflow with maximum output
  
  Must have IDLR/Full Rights to Work in UK - Sponsorship or Work Permits will not be accepted/ provided.
  
  Desirable Skills
  
  
• Experience Steel fabrications & carbon fibre bonding, competency in CAD design packages.
  
  Please note we do not provide sponsorships to those who require it and will only accept applications from those who have full rights to work in the UK with no restrictions and IDLR status. Please provide status on applications.
  
  Our inclusive workplace welcomes and values all candidates from all backgrounds, we believe that diversity enhances our ability to innovate and serve our customers effectively. We are an equal opportunity employer and strive to create an environment where everyone feels respected, supported, and able to bring their authentic selves to work. If you require any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs