Job Description

About Hartwell Manufacturing

Hartwell Manufacturing is a family-run engineering business with nearly 50 years of experience delivering high-quality acoustic enclosures and heavy steel fabrication projects. From our Ossett headquarters, we support clients in the power, data centre and industrial sectors with engineered solutions built on precision, collaboration and reliability. The culture is hands-on, team-focused and proud of the work we produce.

The Role

We're recruiting a Head of Design to provide experienced technical leadership within our design function, supporting the continued growth of our acoustic enclosure capability.

This is a senior, hands-on engineering role. You'll work closely with an established in-house design team, providing technical direction, reviewing work and helping maintain consistent, practical design standards. The focus is on strengthening how work is delivered, improving consistency, and supporting high-quality engineering outcomes as the business continues to grow.

The role also includes a client-facing element, supporting technical discussions, shaping engineering solutions and ensuring Hartwell's design capability is represented clearly and professionally.

Key Responsibilities

Design Leadership & Technical Oversight

Provide technical leadership across acoustic enclosure projects Review and approve 2D and 3D designs, drawings and calculations with a practical, buildable mindset Develop, improve and maintain consistent design standards, processes and ways of working Drive improvements in calculation and analysis tools, design-for-manufacture approaches, drawing quality and production readiness Support the development of effective tools and workflows where these add clarity and value

Client & Project Collaboration

Act as a senior technical point of contact during design development Support customer discussions by offering clear options and sound engineering judgement Contribute to bids, concepts and technical proposals where engineering input is required Work closely with Projects, Operations and Fabrication to ensure smooth design handovers

Team Development

Support and mentor engineers through review, guidance and knowledge sharing Help develop capability and confidence within the design team over time Assist with the integration and development of new design engineers as the team grows

What We're Looking For

Experience developing and supporting an existing design team through guidance, review and shared problem-solving Comfortable providing technical oversight and feedback to maintain consistent, high-quality design outputs Mechanical design engineering background, with acoustic enclosure experience a strong advantage Experience gained within capital equipment, power generation, HVAC plant, modular plant or heavy fabrication environments Proven experience designing fabricated steel structures and engineered assemblies Confident, professional communicator with customers and internal teams Proficient in 3D CAD (e.g. SolidWorks, Inventor) and supporting 2D tools Practical, organised and solutions-focused, with a clear understanding of manufacturing realities

Qualifications

HNC / HND or Degree in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent practical experience) Chartered Engineer status (CEng or IEng) advantageous but not essential Membership of the Institute of Acoustics advantageous but not essential
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Benefits:

Company pension On-site gym On-site parking
Work Location: In person