Smart Manufacturing Software Engineer (KTP Associate)

The duties of the post will include:

• Validating that the business is using the most industry efficient software platforms for the operations processes and obtain KTP verification that our starting point is optimal.
• Redesigning and streamlining workflows across a landscape of disparate platforms, while addressing long standing issues such as manual data transfer, inconsistent validation and user driven variability. The opportunity to integrate AI within the workflows should be reviewed.
• Delivering robust interoperability, automated reporting and database restructuring using advanced digital engineering knowledge and research informed problem
• Balancing rapid development activity with ongoing business demands, while working within tight capacity and limited opportunities to pause production for testing.
• Managing parallel workstreams (database redesign, automation tooling, interoperability utilities and training development) within a live manufacturing environment.
• Working collaboratively with established teams and stakeholders, using high-quality technical communication to support adoption of new digital processes and working practices.
• Reducing reliance on tacit knowledge, and embedding new digital behaviours across design, production and site teams.
• Supporting project management activities, including technical planning, risk identification, progress monitoring, structured rollout planning and reporting.
• Preparing technical documentation, user guidance and training materials to support long-term knowledge transfer and sustainable adoption of the developed solutions within the business.
• Support the delivery of the technical documentation, user guidance and training materials to the wider team ensuring standard operating procedures are aligned between the platforms.
• Lead the expansion, standardisation and optimisation of Howard Brothers’ iMOS digital manufacturing environment, including product/part libraries, materials, metadata, reusable templates and rule-based configuration logic.
• Design and develop automated verification and validation tools to check drawings, part data, machining information, Bills of Materials, CNC outputs and other manufacturing data before release to production.
• Map, redesign and digitally orchestrate end-to-end workflows across design, estimating and manufacturing, introducing revision control, traceability, monitoring and operational dashboards.
• Develop and evaluate shop-floor digitalisation solutions, including controlled access to current drawings, cutting information and production documentation. The ambition is to create a digital environment across the business, ensuring all necessary information is digitally accessible, ideally enhanced by mobile delivery solutions ensuring the “golden thread” of client satisfaction is optimised.
• Design and prototype interoperability mechanisms between iMOS, ERP and legacy production workflows, reducing duplicated data entry, manual transfer and avoidable errors.
• Develop software, scripts, data structures and integration mechanisms, and systematically test and refine solutions using representative and live manufacturing projects.
• Work closely with designers, engineers, production teams and management to gather requirements, evaluate solutions and translate operational needs into robust technical systems.
• Lead pilot deployments, evaluate performance against agreed KPIs and use staff feedback to iteratively improve the solutions.

These duties are a guide to the work that the post holder will initially be required to undertake. They may be changed from time to time to meet changing circumstances.

Key Requirements

Qualifications/Training

• Degree in Digital Engineering, Computer Science, Manufacturing Systems, Software Engineering, Automation, or a closely related field
• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant field, or industry specific experience
• Relevant professional or industrial experience in digital manufacturing, industrial software or systems integration

Experience/Knowledge

• Working with multi platform digital environments like systems integration and data exchange between software platforms
• Automation development and data structure redesign
• Understanding of software/system testing, verification and validation
• Experience with CAD/CAM (e.g. iMOS), digital manufacturing or manufacturing information systems
• Knowledge of ERP systems, APIs, data mapping or interoperability technologies
• Experience working with manufacturing/production workflows or CNC-enabled environments
• Experience of process mapping, workflow redesign, traceability or digital-thread concepts
• Experience developing dashboards, workflow automation or digital information-access solutions
• Manufacturing engineering, systems integration and iterative improvement in live production environments
• Coordinating pilots and embedding new processes
• Database design, data modelling and integration.
• Experience of delivering software solutions in production environments
• Requirements gathering and translating business needs into technical solutions
• Familiarity with AI-assisted software development tools for code generation, debugging, refactoring and documentation
• Understanding of agentic AI concepts and integration of AI agents with APIs, databases or business workflows
• Experience of integrating large language model or AI services into enterprise or manufacturing applications

Benefits

As a KTP Associate, the post will offer the following benefits:

• A personal development budget of £,5000 (exclusive of salary).
• Management training and mentoring by an Innovate UK KTP Adviser.
• An interesting and challenging role, with exposure to a variety of stakeholders.
• Full access to university resources to complete the project.
• World-leading Academic and Company project supervision, with project support by a dedicated, sector leading KTP Office.

The University of Essex in partnership with Howard Bros Joinery offers an exciting opportunity to a graduate with the relevant skills and knowledge to modernise the software capabilities for a traditional joinery firm by developing a ‘single source’ digital platform that increases throughput, reduces errors, eliminates manual processes and establishes scalable data, training and validation frameworks, enabling greater efficiency, reliability and future digital service opportunities.