Lead Design Engineer – Bellville, Cape Town

About the role

We are seeking a Lead Design Engineer to drive design excellence for new and existing machinery at our production plant in Bellville, Cape Town. You will own the technical design process, ensure rigorous configuration control, and work closely with senior leadership, R&D and project teams.

Key responsibilities

• Lead technical design, CAD modelling and engineering calculations for new equipment and plant modifications.
• Create detailed machine layouts, P&IDs and site plans, and conduct design reviews with stakeholders.
• Run simulation tests to validate prototypes and compile complete production data packs.
• Collaborate with Maintenance and Production to reduce downtime and improve efficiency.
• Enforce drawing standards, manage configuration control and maintain the design archive.
• Administer the Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) process and ensure compliance with health, safety and regulatory standards.
• Research existing processes and partner with R&D to implement continuous improvement initiatives.
• Oversee machine manual numbering, tracking and generate weekly design activity reports for the Technical Director and CEO.

Required profile

• Proven experience in advanced mechanical design and engineering calculations.
• Strong background working with Maintenance, R&D and Project Engineers to optimise plant machinery.
• Excellent attention to engineering standards, governance and health & safety compliance.
• Ability to meet strict project deadlines and manage multiple design tasks.

Required skills

• Solid Edge CAD software
• CAD modelling and mechanical design
• Engineering calculations
• P&IDs creation
• Simulation testing
• Design documentation and configuration management
• Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) administration