Product Improvement Engineer

This posting is for hourly paid logistics employees to apply through.

Ocado Group is an equal opportunities employer and as such makes every effort to ensure that all potential employees are treated fairly and equally, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, age, or disability or union membership status.

About Us

Ocado is a technology-led, global software and robotics platform business with a strong retail heritage. As a pioneer in the online grocery market, we partner with some of the world’s largest forward-thinking retailers across the globe (including Kroger, Sobeys, Coles, AEON, Lotte, Alcampo, Groupe Casino and ICA, joining our UK partner Morrisons and the Ocado/M&S joint venture) and together we are transforming the global grocery landscape. We continue to invest significantly in our technology and people in order to deliver for our current clients and forge exciting new partnerships. At the heart of our success lies our technological know-how and unparalleled IP.

About the role

The Product Improvement Engineer will contribute to automation product design activities and will be responsible for using data to influence design choices, predicting future failures, defining test strategies, executing test activities, and driving product improvement loops during product maturation.

Accountabilities

Define and plan test strategies for new product development, identifying key metrics, test rig requirements and resources needed to enable testing

Support new test programmes by advising on sample sizes, statistical confidence levels and other reliability targets that need to be achieved

Support design and development of product prototypes and reliability rigs

Provide validation of supplier/design reliability claims through developing and implementing appropriate test strategies

Execute test plans, collecting, analysing and presenting results to stakeholders

Develop predictive reliability models for new and existing products

Quantify the impact on reliability of any design changes or cost down projects

Use accelerated life testing & stress screening techniques to realise potential weaknesses in design of new products. Work with other teams to mitigate them

Identify opportunities to improve or create new KPIs (Key performance Indicators) for existing and new products

Extract useful statistics from existing product(s) in order to drive improvements both on those products and for the next generation of design

Lead and collaborate on root cause investigations in product reliability issues

Facilitate and lead Risk analysis and FMEA Workshops

Lead/support the identification of root cause and participate in solution generation for issues uncovered during testing

You may be asked to perform tasks as required by management deemed as a reasonable request. This job description is a summary of the typical functions of the role, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of possible role responsibilities, tasks and duties and is subject to review. The responsibilities, tasks and duties of the job holder might differ from those outlined in the job description and other duties, as assigned, might form part of the job.

About you (experience we seek)

Essential:

A good degree in an engineering/science discipline such as, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Physics or Mathematics

Excellent numerical, modelling and structured problem-solving skills

Experience of collating, analysing and interpreting large data sets

Writing and implementing product verification test plans

Strong hands-on / practical experience of testing products

Ability to produce and present technical findings across all business levels

Experience of using FMEA to drive design optimisation

Ability to work on multiple projects and manage time appropriately.

Ability to build relationships at all levels with both internal and external teams

Proficient in use of MS-Office / G suite

Flexibility to travel to Ocado’s other sites within the UK and overseas as and when required

Desirable:

A statistics based post-graduate qualification

Experience of using accelerated life testing and reliability growth curves in electro-mechanical product development

Ability to read mechanical and / or electrical drawings

Experience in managing product test activities and resources

Experience of using Minitab and/or Six Sigma toolkits

Developing experiments based on statistical techniques to support new product development

Experience working with material handling equipment and automation systems

Use of data analytical tools such as SQL, Python

Proficiency in reliability software packages such as BlockSIM, Weibull++

What we offer you

Our employee benefits are designed for you, we care about people and we’ve ensured we have a wealth of benefits that focus on your well-being. We regularly review our benefits to ensure we are supporting our employees appropriately.

30 days ‘working from anywhere in the world’ policy

Wellbeing support through dedicated apps and an Employee Assistance Programme

25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after 5 years service (plus optional holiday purchase)

Pension scheme (various options available including employer contribution matching up to 7%)

Generous Private Medical Insurance (within the first month of joining!)

Income Protection (can be up to 50% of salary for 3 years) and Life Assurance (3 x annual salary)

22 weeks paid maternity leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave (once relevant service requirements complete)

Train Ticket loan (interest-free)

Cycle to Work Scheme

Free shuttle bus to and from Hatfield Train Station to the Hatfield offices

Free shuttle bus to and from Welwyn Garden City Train Station to the Welwyn Garden City offices

Opportunity to participate in Sharesave and Buy as You Earn share schemes

15% discount on Ocado.com and free delivery for all employees (within the first month of joining!)

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