Hnc Hnd Mechanical Engineering jobs in Manchester

Project Manager – Capital Equipment & Machinery

Location: Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire

Salary: £50,000 – £55,000 per annum

Benefits: Private healthcare, life assurance, company pension scheme, plus additional employee benefits.

Job Type: Permanent, full-time, site-based

Sector: Bespoke Machinery, Capital Equipment, Special Purpose Machinery, Engineered Systems

About the Company:

A well-established machinery manufacturer is looking to add an experienced Project Manager to its project delivery team.

This is a permanent opportunity with a long-standing engineering business that has been designing, manufacturing, and delivering specialist machinery for around 100 years. The company employs more than 150 people globally and supplies engineered equipment into a variety of industrial markets.

Due to continued growth, a strong order book, and increased project demand, the business now needs an additional Project Manager to help manage customer projects from order through to completion.

The company manufactures as much as possible in-house, supported by trusted subcontract manufacturing partners.

The Role:

As Project Manager, you will be responsible for delivering bespoke machinery and capital equipment projects from initial order placement through to customer acceptance.

Projects are typically valued between £500k and £5m, and you will usually be managing multiple live projects at different stages. This includes projects moving through design, procurement, manufacture, assembly, factory acceptance testing (FAT), installation, site acceptance testing (SAT), and final handover.

The role is about keeping projects visible, controlled, and moving in the right direction. You will work closely with design engineering, purchasing, production, assembly, testing, installation, and customer-facing teams to ensure key actions are followed through and potential issues are addressed early.

Note: This is a dedicated project management position, not a hands-on design role.

The position is predominantly office-based with only occasional travel required to suppliers and customer sites.

What You Will Be Doing:

• Taking ownership of machinery and capital equipment projects from order handover through to completion
• Building, maintaining and updating project plans using MS Project and other planning tools
• Coordinating activity across design, purchasing, manufacturing, assembly, FAT, installation and SAT
• Tracking project progress against cost, schedule, quality and customer expectations
• Acting as a key communication link between customers, suppliers and internal departments
• Identifying risks early and pushing actions forward before they become bigger issues
• Managing project changes, delays, variations and commercial implications
• Reviewing project budgets, costs and cost-to-complete information
• Supporting escalations relating to subcontract manufacturing, suppliers and project delivery
• Chairing project meetings and ensuring actions are clearly owned and followed up
• Keeping multiple live projects moving while balancing competing priorities
• Influencing people across the business without always having direct line management authority

What We Are Looking For:

We are seeking an experienced engineering project professional. While formal project management qualifications (such as APM or Prince2) or a technical qualification (HNC/HND/Degree) are highly advantageous, proven delivery experience within a relevant engineering environment is our primary requirement.

The successful Project Manager will come from one of the following backgrounds:

• Bespoke machinery or special purpose machinery
• Capital equipment or engineered systems
• Automation and robotics systems
• Complex manufacturing or mechanical/electrical engineering environments

Required Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience managing engineering projects through the full lifecycle.
• Strong planning, scheduling, and project control skills (proficiency in MS Project is preferred).
• Experience working alongside design, procurement, manufacturing, assembly, and commissioning teams.
• Good commercial awareness, including cost control and variation management.
• The confidence to manage customer expectations professionally through delays, risks, and recovery plans.
• A structured, proactive, and resilient approach to problem-solving.

This role may also suit an Engineering Project Manager, Technical Project Manager, Project Engineer, Senior Project Engineer, Contracts Engineer, or Contracts Manager with experience delivering machinery or complex engineered products.

Location & Commute

The role is based at the manufacturing site in Lancashire and is easily commutable for candidates living in or around: Oswaldtwistle, Accrington, Blackburn, Burnley, Darwen, Haslingden, Rossendale, Clitheroe, Preston, Chorley, Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Nelson, Colne, Leyland, and North Manchester.

To Apply

If you are an experienced Project Manager with a background in capital equipment or special purpose machinery, this is an excellent opportunity to join a stable manufacturer with a strong, long-term project workload.

Please click "Apply" today with your updated CV for immediate consideration.

Pay: £50,000.00-£55,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Free parking
• Life insurance
• Private medical insurance

Experience:

• Project Management: 2 years (required)
• Machinery/Equipment Projects: 2 years (required)

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: In person