Senior Lead Engineer

Job Summary
The Senior Lead Engineer will lead and guide all in-house engineering functions and activities. Besides managing the CAD Engineering Team, this role will be a key advisor to Company Management as well as the Design, Compliance, and Factory Operations teams. The ideal candidate should possess extensive expertise in furniture engineering and manufacturing, engineering principles, and CAD software to drive efficiency and product quality.
Key Responsibilities
1. Engineering Leadership
• Continue building excellence in VAN THIEL & CO.'s engineering capabilities, both in terms of furniture engineering and quality as well as in engineering process and team management.
• Lead and manage the team of Furniture CAD Engineers to complete projects within prescribed parameters and on time.
• Lead scheduling and project management to ensure efficient utilization of the Engineering Team's capacity.
• Guide and mentor CAD Engineers through technical & construction challenges, drive continuous improvement and implementing the best practices.
• Lead through communication with various company teams as well as manufacturing partners to resolve technical and construction challenges when needed.
• Attend product/design review meetings and provide technical expertise and guidance throughout the design and product development process.
2. Drawing Review & Standardization
• Conduct audits of all technical drawings to ensure accuracy, manufacturability, and compliance with company standards.
• Develop and implement furniture drawing standards, templates, and best practices to ensure uniformity across all departments.
• Lead Draftsmen to improve drawing clarity, dimensional accuracy, and adherence to industry norms. Provide guidance and feedback as needed.
• Ensure the drawing database is maintained accurately, up-to-date, consistently, and reliably. Establish and strictly enforce a drawing version control system to prevent production errors caused by version confusion.
• Review, check and approve detailed engineering drawings created by Draftsmen before sharing them in the product development process.
3. Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Act as senior liaison between and advisor to CAD, Product Development, Design, Factory Operations, and Compliance to ensure smooth communication and timely issue resolution.
• Work closely with Product Development Coordinators to align technical documentation with production schedules, and to ensure seamless product transitions from development to production.
• Advise the Design team in translating concepts into manufacturing-ready drawings.
• Provide technical consulting to Factory Operations, ensuring that Production teams have clear and error-free drawings. Advise on all technical inquiries from the production teams.
4. Process Improvement & Technical Support
• Identify and implement efficiencies in furniture drafting and engineering processes to improve accuracy and turnaround times. Set clear quality and time benchmarks for furniture drawings delivery based on project requirements and industry standards. Regularly evaluate team members' performance and provide targeted training and guidance.
• Recommend and integrate new technologies, CAD tools, or software to enhance furniture design and manufacturing workflows.
• Guide or contribute during the development of material specifications, tolerances, and production feasibility assessments.
• Troubleshoot engineering-related issues and propose solutions that align with cost, quality, and production capabilities. Analyze problems thoroughly and work with relevant teams to implement effective solutions.
5. Compliance & Documentation
• Ensure all drawings meet company and furniture industry standards, including tolerances, material specifications, and safety regulations. Stay updated with the latest standards and ensure compliance.
• Organize the CAD and Engineering Teams so that thorough documentation of engineering decisions, design changes, and approvals is maintained. Ensure documents are organized and archived for easy retrieval.
• Lead the development of training materials and guides to educate team members on best drafting practices. Provide training sessions as required.