Business Need / Purpose of Role:

Primarily (but not exclusively) targeting centrifugal slurry pump innovation and safety, undertake new product development (product and sub-system), incremental legacy product enhancement and through-life technical support for the department. Focus on the hydraulic design and application evaluation using computational methods to improve performance and wear life.

Key Responsibilities and Specific Accountabilities:

Objectives:

• Develop products, sub-systems and enhancements with a focus on delivery, quality and cost. Have a full appreciation of FMEA, DFMA and methods to minimize product costs;
• Team player within both Waterfall and Agile project environments.
• Liaise with subcontract engineering services, leading on process and quality improvement;
• Key engineering decision maker and leader of designers and other engineers;
• Ensure adequate records exist to demonstrate that the department’s designs comply with global design standards. Conduct reviews and generate engineering reports to document specific pieces of design work or technical analysis and be proactive in ensuring the global standards library and compliance registers are up to date;
• Supervise, schedule and coordinate projects/tasks to meet cost and delivery targets;
• Lead prototyping, testing, validation and verification activities, ensuring adequate documentation is created;
• Take ownership of creation, management, maintenance and accuracy of office procedures and policies;
• Comply with Engineering Best Practice and office procedures / policies.
• Lead technical enquiries, meetings (including minute circulation and action management) and presentations;
• Understand use of and limitations of hydraulic design tools and methods
• Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned as needs arise.

Accountabilities:

General Engineering Design

Measurements:

• Dependent on the agreed development objectives, the departmental needs and the position-holder's background and aptitude; different levels of focus and exposure will be given across the main elements of the engineering function. In addition to involvement in general design activity, the depth of focus will vary across the hydraulic and mechanical areas.
• Assist in formulating and proactively lead with the execution of engineering strategies, objectives, plans and programs consistent with the overall direction of the department, business, division and group. Actively contribute whenever necessary in addressing cross functional engineering issues.
• Proactively take ownership and be accountable for the successful on-time delivery of team projects. As a technical lead, taking responsibility for the technical team’s on-time delivery.
• Take a lead role in new product and sub-system development including – investigation, design, liaising with other engineers and designers, working with the Program Manager, testing and reporting of prototypes and the preparation of marketing information (catalogues, manuals etc.)
• Take the technical lead role for projects as required, answering to the Program manager and line manager within a matrix structure.
• Work within the current processes to conduct product changes and new product designs / enhancements.
• Lead activity such as creation of design and qualification documentation, including test procedures, validation plans, and component / product costing. Justify design decisions based on cost, risk, delivery timescales, experimental test data and CAE outputs.
• Assist the Program manager with planning of all future & existing project activity requiring engineering input and new product development. Provide accurate, achievable and realistic task time estimates and support the Program manager as a proactive member of project teams and project meetings to meet those targets and deliver on time.
• Troubleshooting including answering technical enquiries from customers and related Weir Minerals teams.
• Travel to site as required, to assist end users and internal customers.
• Accountable for new patent applications, providing necessary analysis, details and diagrams as required.
• A leading authority for other engineers and designers to prepare conceptual sketches, 3D models, 3D assemblies and design data/information, working within the GPDM framework. Maintain a hands-on CAD role as required.
• An advocate of DFMA, VA/VE and cost effectiveness.
• An advocate of well written and stored design and engineering records.
• Lead in the creation and maintenance of Weir Minerals engineering standards and QA procedures, policy, training, technical support, technical presentations (high and low level) and project programming.
• Undertake specialist projects as instructed by the team supervisor, Program manager, line manager or Engineering Director.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and promote new technology concepts for slurry pumping and other WM equipment as required.

Computational Fluid Dynamics focused design

Measurements:

Activities include but are not limited to:

• Take technical leadership of a sub-team in the evaluation of hydraulic design of new slurry pumps and product improvement using CFD
• Take technical responsibility for CAD-based hydraulic designs with a focus in enhancing pump performance and wear characteristics.
• By first developing and justifying a technical plan, provide verification and if necessary further optimization of hydraulic design using computer simulation and validating simulation models by prototyping and trials.
• Support development ESY (predicted) performance curves using CFD to estimate pump hydraulic performance
• Support the development of CFD as a key analysis and design tool in the department and the Weir Minerals division.

Knowledge:

Mandatory

• Familiarity with commercially available CFD package(s)
• Understanding of fundamental fluid hydraulics principles
• Understanding of various turbulence models used in CFD
• Understanding of mesh requirements for accurate CFD results depending on the simulation goal and turbulence models
• Familiarity with DEM software and simulation methods
• Experience modeling turbomachinery using CFD methods

Desirable

• Familiar with multiphase analysis simulation methods
• Understands the standard erosion models
• Able to use CFD to estimate NPSHr for new hydraulic designs
• Understands the implementation of DEM with CFD
• Understands applicability and general limits of Euler-Euler and Lagrangian particle tracking
• Able to support development of proprietary simulation methods to predict wear rate of components in centrifugal slurry pumps
• Able to support development of proprietary code to improve accuracy of slurry pump hydraulic simulations

Education and/or Experience:

Mandatory

• See Dual Ladder Baseline Requirements
• Knowledge and experience of extensive manufacturing and assembly processes.
• Considered a specialist in product design (mechanical & hydraulic) in the heavy engineering sector (preferably slurry pumps and/or rotational equipment) including diverse material selection knowledge.
• Excellent communication, organizational and time management skills
• A willingness to take ownership, responsibility and accountability.
• Mentor for writing comprehensive risk assessment, design and test reports.
• Ability to work under pressure and multi-task whilst maintaining attention to detail.
• VA/VE, LEAN and FMEA practitioner.
• Weir Minerals product knowledge (ideally 10+ years).
• Experience in processing, mining or manufacturing industries.
• Chartered Engineering status.
• Possess the ability to read, analyze, and interpret the most complex documents.  Possess the ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints.  Write clear presentations, speeches and articles using original or innovative techniques or style.  Possess the ability to make effective and persuasive speeches and presentations on controversial or complex topics to top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.

Desirable

• Expert project management practitioner.
• Recognized at group and by customers as an engineering specialist.
• PhD (external recruitment) and supporting significant experience in relevant areas of Engineering.

Dual Ladder Baseline Requirements

Job Characteristics:

Applies engineering skill to solve complex problems utilizing knowledge of company customers and markets.  Schedules and coordinates major segments of complex projects to meet cost and time objectives.  Reviews design and documentation to ensure compliance with design criteria and standards.  Conducts feasibility studies, determines manpower and cost estimates, and develops engineering criteria. 

Selection Criteria:

• 3 or 4 year bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline and ten or more years of directly related engineering experience.
• 2 or 3 year master’s degree.
• 5 years of supervisory experience.
• Authored a technical paper.
• Relevant experience outside of the present business unit.
• Takes initiative to stay current with technology in degreed discipline.
• Expert understanding of general engineering principles.
• Create 2D assembly drawings using CAD.
• Create 3D assembly models using CAD.
• Supervise 2D drawings using CAD.
• Supervise 3D models using CAD.
• Expert practitioner understanding of limits, lifts & tolerances.
• Expert practitioner of CAE tools.
• Practitioner of Project Management methodologies.
• Recognized within Weir Minerals as a subject matter expert.