Jonathan Lee Recruitment
Development Manufacturing Engineer

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Development Manufacturing Engineer
Step into a hands-on, career-boosting role as a Development Manufacturing Engineer, where your ideas directly improve product designs, prototype builds, and real-world manufacturability. This position sits at the heart of the manufacturing and engineering team, combining technical creativity with practical problem-solving to help deliver robust, cost-effective products. If you enjoy making complex work feel achievable, the Development Manufacturing Engineer job offers real momentum, meaningful collaboration, and a clear route to impact across R&D.
What You Will Do:
- Ensure designs are suitable for manufacture by influencing development from early concept through prototype sign-off as a Development Manufacturing Engineer.
- Identify component geometry, tolerance, and standardisation opportunities to improve repeatability and manufacturability.
- Tackle manufacturing, assembly, tooling, and material challenges during early product development and recommend practical solutions.
- Lead R&D initiative projects, keeping deadlines on track, stakeholders engaged, and progress clearly communicated as a Development Manufacturing Engineer.
- Support design-for-manufacture work, including DFMEA reviews, and capture manufacturing lessons learned for future iterations.
- Work closely with Production Engineering and wider functions to help designs align with continuous improvement, cost reduction, and quality goals.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
What You Will Bring:
- A degree or equivalent qualification in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline, plus strong design-for-manufacture foundations.
- Confident ability to interpret and produce engineering drawings and specifications, alongside experience working with 3D CAD and 2D technical drawings.
- Strong knowledge of sheet metal manufacturing processes, materials, tolerances, and how these influence product design.
- Experience within manufacturing environments, with the ability to spot manufacturing risks early in development.
- Clear project management and communication skills, with a proactive approach and confidence building effective working relationships.


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This Development Manufacturing Engineer role plays a vital part in building technically robust products that are designed to be efficient, repeatable, and cost-effective. By improving manufacturability and supporting quality and continuous improvement initiatives, you help the business deliver better outcomes for customers and strengthen long-term engineering excellence.
Location:
The Development Manufacturing Engineer role is based in Exeter, supporting R&D activity and prototype development in a manufacturing-focused environment.
Interested?
If the Development Manufacturing Engineer job sounds like the next step for our next challenge, apply now and take the opportunity to shape designs that work brilliantly on the shop floor.
Your CV will be forwarded to Jonathan Lee Recruitment, a leading engineering and manufacturing recruitment consultancy established in 1978. The services advertised by Jonathan Lee Recruitment are those of an Employment Agency.
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