Lead NPI Engineer

Lead NPI Engineer

IONATE · London, United Kingdom · Full-time · Posted 2026-11-06

Workplace: on_site

Department: Hardware Operations

Description

Full-time/London/On-site

IONATE is a deep tech scale-up building the hardware and software backbone for smart grids. Our mission is to transform power systems - from grids and microgrids to renewables and data centres - unlocking the massive potential in this under-innovated sector that touches every aspect of our modern lives.

We are now looking for a Lead Industrialisation Engineer/NPI Engineer to join our Operations team and lead the transition of the Hybrid Intelligent Transformer (HIT) from engineering builds into safe, repeatable UK manufacturing and ultimately scaled contract manufacturing. This is a senior, hands-on role providing technical leadership across industrialisation activities, bridging Engineering and Operations to enable successful scale-up into production.

Working between Engineering and Operations, you will play a key role in Engineering-led NPI, translating approved product designs into safe, repeatable manufacturing processes. You will identify changes needed for industrialisation, develop practical manufacturing proposals and coordinate approved changes into production. While the role has no direct reports initially, you will lead through technical expertise, collaboration and influence across these organisations.

What you will do:

• Lead industrialisation delivery. Develop and maintain the industrialisation plan for approved products, coordinate actions between Engineering and Operations, and prepare the evidence and recommendations needed for production-readiness reviews.
• Establish manufacturing concepts. Translate approved product and manufacturing strategies into practical build concepts, process requirements, equipment needs, capacity assumptions and implementation plans. Present options and recommendations to Operations leadership for approval.
• Own manufacturing equipment delivery. Translate the approved manufacturing strategy into equipment requirements and manage the technical delivery of production equipment through specification, procurement support, installation, commissioning and acceptance. Ensure equipment is safe, capable, maintainable and ready for production.
• Lead manufacturing readiness documentation. Bring together the approved Engineering and Operations information needed to build and release the product consistently, including work instructions, routings, inspection requirements and test instructions. Track gaps, owners and approval status.
• Facilitate design for manufacture and assembly. Lead practical DFM and DFA reviews between Engineering and Operations, quantify the manufacturing impact of proposed changes, and submit required product changes through the engineering change process. Engineering retains approval authority.
• Manage production-readiness risks. Maintain visibility of industrialisation risks and coordinate closure of agreed actions covering manufacturing processes, tooling, safety, quality and capability evidence. Escalate unresolved risks for decision by the relevant Engineering or Operations owner.
• Support manufacturing builds. Coordinate industrialisation preparation for early builds, work directly with engineers and technicians, capture issues at source, and help improve first-pass yield, cycle time, labour hours, defects and rework.
• Implement approved configuration changes. Manage the implementation and effectivity of approved changes within Operations so each serialised unit has an accurate build record, and each change takes effect at a defined serial number, lot, date or build stage.
• Lead manufacturing-partner transfer. Prepare and execute the technical industrialisation work package for manufacturing partners, including process documentation, equipment, training and readiness evidence. Support Operations leadership in transfer approval and ramp decisions.
• Drive industrialisation readiness. Maintain industrialisation milestones, actions, risks and key build metrics. Provide clear evidence of readiness and recommend priorities to Engineering and Operations.

Requirements

What you will need:

• Relevant industrialisation experience. A strong record of taking complex electromechanical, power-electronic or similarly demanding hardware from prototype through controlled, repeatable production.
• Hands-on build support. The ability to work directly with engineers and technicians on the shop floor, turn incomplete information into a safe and controlled process, and solve build issues without losing configuration discipline.
• Cross-functional collaboration. A collaborative and pragmatic style, strong written and verbal communication, and the ability to bring Engineering and Operations teams together to deliver shared objectives through influence and collaboration.
• Relevant technical foundation. A degree, apprenticeship or equivalent practical experience in manufacturing, mechanical, electrical, mechatronic or production engineering, plus the flexibility to travel to UK and global suppliers and manufacturing partners when required.

It would be useful to have:

• Manufacturing transfer capability. Experience transferring products or processes to contract manufacturers or suppliers, including documentation, training, process qualification, acceptance criteria and launch support.
• Configuration control. Experience managing manufacturing bills of materials, routings, deviations, change implementation and product or process effectivity within an ERP, PLM or equivalent controlled environment.
• Manufacturing engineering depth. Strong experience with DFM and DFA, process FMEA, control plans, production-readiness reviews, work instructions, tooling and fixture development, process validation and capability improvement.
• Power-sector product experience. Industrialisation experience involving power electronics, high-voltage equipment, transformers, energy infrastructure or another safety-critical product environment.
• Low-volume, high-complexity manufacturing. Experience building an efficient operating system where product maturity, design change and demand are evolving at the same time.
• Test and automation knowledge. Experience optimising production test strategy, test fixtures, data capture, manufacturing execution systems or traceability tools.
• Scale-up and CEM experience. Experience developing a local manufacturing partner and then transferring a proven process to a high-volume contract manufacturer, ideally across international sites.

Benefits

• Employee Option Plan: You get equity in IONATE, so as we succeed so do you.
• Private Medical & Dental Insurance: From day one, we provide you with full, comprehensive private medical and dental cover through Bupa. You also have the option to add any dependents to your cover. Please ask us for more details.
• Company pension: a flexible, and sustainable pension product to help you plan for your future.
• Career Development: It’s important to us that you have the opportunity for ongoing professional development and career growth. You will receive an annual budget for professional development and work with your team to set and reach goals every year.
• Flexible working schedules: You will have the flexibility for occasional work-from-home arrangements. Talk to us at the application stage about this.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Low carbon travel is important for everyone, so we have in place a cycle scheme to help you purchase a bicycle.
• Slow travel: We believe in a low carbon future, so if you wish to travel by a lower carbon method – but it takes much longer than flying - we will give you an extra 2 slow travel days per year.

Apply

Apply at IONATE

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