Manufacturing Engineer Contract Jobs in Cambridge
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17 Contract jobs
Contract RF Design Engineer - Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB25
Posted 4 days ago by Redline Group Ltd
The role of Contract RF Design Engineer involves designing, developing, simulating, and testing low frequency RF circuit...
- Rate £80 per hour
- Category Outside
- Work type Undetermined
- Location Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB25
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Mechanical Engineering Expert - AI Content Specialist
Posted 7 days ago by Alignerr
The Mechanical Engineering Expert — AI Content Specialist role involves collaborating with leading AI research labs to d...
- Rate Negotiable
- Category Undetermined
- Work type Remote
- Location Cambridge, England, United Kingdom
Lift Engineer
Posted 1 week ago by STANNAH MANAGEMENT SERVICES LIMITED
Stannah is seeking qualified Lift Engineers to join their team, offering a competitive salary of up to £55,000 based on...
- Rate £55,000 per year
- Category Undetermined
- Work type Undetermined
- Location East Anglia; Peterborough; Norwich; Cambridge; Ipswich; Norfolk; Suffolk; Bury St. Edmunds; Cambridgeshire; Lowestoft; Great Yarmouth
Head of Software Engineering (EW)
Posted 1 week ago by Leonardo UK Ltd
The Head of Software Engineering for the Electronic Warfare line of business at Leonardo UK is responsible for leading a...
- Rate £117,058 per year
- Category Inside
- Work type Hybrid
- Location East Anglia; Peterborough; Norwich; Cambridge; Ipswich; Norfolk; Suffolk; Bury St. Edmunds; Cambridgeshire; Lowestoft; Great Yarmouth
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About Our Manufacturing Engineer Contract Roles in Cambridge
What does a manufacturing engineer contractor do?
As a contract Manufacturing Engineer, you are hired to design, implement, and improve the production processes, tooling, equipment, and work methods used to manufacture products efficiently, safely, and to the required quality standard. The work spans a range of activities depending on the engagement: developing manufacturing process plans and work instructions for new product introductions, conducting time and motion studies and capacity analysis, designing and procuring production tooling and fixtures, implementing lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement initiatives, supporting capital equipment procurement and installation, and providing engineering support to resolve production quality or output issues. Manufacturing Engineer contractors are brought in during new product introduction programmes, process improvement projects, plant expansions, and to provide specialist expertise that the permanent team lacks.
The skills expected of Manufacturing Engineer contractors combine practical production engineering knowledge with problem-solving ability and the technical foundation relevant to the materials and processes used in the specific manufacturing environment. Experience with lean manufacturing tools including value stream mapping, SMED, 5S, and kanban is widely expected. For sectors with formal quality systems, knowledge of PFMEA, control plans, and the APQP process is expected in automotive; similar structured quality approaches apply in aerospace and pharmaceutical manufacturing. CAD skills for tooling and fixture design, familiarity with ERP systems for production planning and work order management, and the ability to lead process improvement workshops with cross-functional production teams are widely valued at senior level.
What is the market like for manufacturing engineer contractors?
The Manufacturing Engineer contract market is a well-established and active market across the automotive, aerospace, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and industrial equipment sectors. New product introduction work, driven by model year changes, new platform launches, and product range extensions, generates predictable contract demand in automotive and aerospace. The pharmaceutical sector's significant capital investment in new manufacturing facilities and the expansion of existing sites creates ongoing demand for process and manufacturing engineering contractors. The transition to electric vehicle production is creating particular demand for Manufacturing Engineers with experience in battery cell manufacturing, power electronics assembly, and the new production processes associated with EV platforms. Rates are influenced by the technical engineering expertise and sector experience required.
What is the contracting market like in Cambridge?
Few UK cities match the specificity of Cambridge's contracting opportunities. The life sciences, biotechnology, and deep technology ecosystem that has grown around the university and its research parks sustains work in scientific computing, bioinformatics, embedded systems, regulatory affairs, and clinical data at a scale and depth concentrated almost nowhere else. Beyond life sciences, telecommunications, chip design, and enterprise software employers broaden the range of engineering and development work available. Employers in Cambridge seek deep domain expertise and pay accordingly: rates for specialist disciplines frequently match or exceed London, though the overall volume of opportunities is smaller and concentrated in a narrower set of sectors. Contractors without a relevant scientific or deep technical background will find the market less accessible than its reputation might suggest.
How much do manufacturing engineer contractors usually earn in Cambridge?
Contract rates for manufacturing engineer roles in Cambridge typically range from £315 to £630 per day, depending on the scope of the role, required expertise, and the delivery expectations of the engagement.
How many manufacturing engineer vacancies in Cambridge are there on Quality Contracts?
Over the past twelve months, we have tracked over 150 manufacturing engineer contract roles across the site, with Cambridge maintaining consistent volume. Data reviewed up to June 2026.