Engineering Manager
Company: Luminous Show Technology
Job Type: Full-time, permanent contract
Location: Sowton, Exeter
Salary: £60,000 - £75,000 per annum (depending on experience)
The Company:
Luminous Show Technology is an award-winning engineering company specialising in the design and manufacture of advanced special effects systems for the global entertainment industry.
From large-scale flame systems and atmospheric effects to bespoke mechanical and water-based installations, our equipment is used on productions, attractions and live experiences worldwide where reliability, safety and repeatability are critical.
Our work combines mechanical, electrical and control engineering with rapid problem solving, product development and real-world deployment in demanding environments.
Founded in 2017, Luminous has grown rapidly through a strong engineering-led culture focused on innovation, practical delivery and continual improvement. In 2026, the company received a King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation in recognition of its engineering achievements and product development.
We are now looking for an Engineering Manager to help lead the next phase of growth
The Role:
We are seeking an Engineering Manager to lead the planning, coordination and day-to-day delivery of our engineering activities while supporting and developing a growing engineering team.
Working closely with the Company Directors, this role will bring structure, visibility and momentum to a busy multi-project environment involving bespoke engineering systems, internal product development and international client projects.
This is a hands-on, delivery-focused role suited to someone who enjoys solving complex engineering challenges, coordinating technical teams and helping ambitious engineering projects move from concept through to manufacture and deployment.
The role combines elements of:
- engineering leadership
- project and programme management
- technical coordination
- operational improvement
- product development support
It offers the opportunity to work on unusual and technically challenging systems within a highly practical engineering environment where decisions can be implemented quickly, and individuals can make a visible impact.
This role is offered on a full time, permanent contract and will be subject to the successful completion of a 6-month probationary review.
Main Responsibilities:
Programme & Delivery Coordination- Own and maintain the master schedule across active engineering projects, including planning, tracking, prioritisation and communication.
- Coordinate with Directors, engineers, production, procurement and suppliers to support smooth project delivery.
- Maintain visibility of long‑term development priorities alongside short‑term client delivery pressures.
- Support internal R&D and product innovation activities alongside client projects.
- Track prototype builds, testing cycles, engineering iterations and development milestones
- Help ensure engineering resources are allocated effectively across multiple concurrent projects
Project Management- Review drawings, specifications and technical documentation to identify gaps, risks and required clarifications.
- Coordinate technical queries through logging, assignment, follow-up and close-out.
- Run regular engineering and project review meetings to maintain progress and identify blockers early.
- Maintain project documentation, progress tracking and change records
- Support procurement activities by confirming technical requirements, dependencies and lead times
- Help ensure projects remain aligned with programme objectives, budgets and delivery timelines
Engineering Team Leadership- Line manage the engineering team, including workload planning, mentoring, development and wellbeing.
- Support skills development and capability growth within the team
- Foster a positive, collaborative and accountable engineering culture
- Help create an organised and structured engineering environment while maintaining agility and practical decision making
- Support recruitment and onboarding activities as the engineering function grows
Process & Operational Improvement- Improve engineering processes, workflows and project visibility across the business
- Identify opportunities to streamline delivery and reduce bottlenecks
- Support implementation of engineering best practices, documentation standards and operational systems
- Contribute to engineering strategy, resource planning and future capability development
General- Support the wider business wherever reasonably required within the scope of the role
- Maintain a practical, proactive and solutions-focused approach across all areas of responsibility
About You:
You will thrive in this role if you are:
- Experienced in engineering, technical coordination or engineering project delivery
- Comfortable working within fast-moving engineering and manufacturing environments
- Able to bring structure and organisation to complex multi-project workloads
- Comfortable reading engineering drawings and understanding technical requirements
- Calm under pressure and capable of balancing technical detail with practical delivery
- A confident communicator who can work effectively with engineers, suppliers, production teams and clients
- Comfortable leading and supporting a small engineering team
- Interested in product development, innovation and continuous improvement
- Motivated by interesting engineering challenges and varied technical projects
- Comfortable taking ownership and making decisions within a growing business environment
- Interested in developing knowledge in areas such as CE/UKCA compliance, functional safety and product safety systems
Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required:
Essential
- Degree-qualified engineer or equivalent industry experience
- Experience within engineering, manufacturing, technical production or similar industries
- Strong engineering project coordination or project management experience
- Experience managing multiple concurrent technical projects
- Ability to interpret technical drawings and specifications
- Excellent organisational and scheduling skills
- Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities
- Good general IT literacy, including project planning and scheduling software
- Practical problem-solving ability and strong attention to detail
Desirable
- Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng)
- Experience within bespoke machinery, entertainment engineering, special effects, automation or complex manufacturing environments
- Experience supervising or mentoring engineers or technicians
- Familiarity with CAD modelling software
- Knowledge of CE/UKCA compliance and engineering standards
- Knowledge of functional safety systems
- Experience in mechanical and electronic product development
- Familiarity with R&D and prototype development environments
Why Join Luminous?
- Work on unusual and technically challenging engineering systems
- Be part of a growing, award-winning engineering company
- Contribute to products and projects used worldwide
- Operate within a highly practical, hands-on engineering culture
- Opportunity to shape engineering processes and team growth
- High level of autonomy and visible impact
- Exposure to product innovation, R&D and international projects
- Work alongside a passionate and experienced engineering team
The Benefits:
- Salary: £60,000 - £75,000 per annum (depending on experience)
- Company pension scheme
- Employee Assistance Program
- 25 days holiday plus public holidays
- Company events
- Company uniform
- Private health insurance & cash plan available after probation period
- Paid sick leave available after probation period
- Free onsite parking
- Free refreshments
- Working hours Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm
If you possess the experience, passion and attitude to make this role a success then we would love to hear from you. Please submit your CV with a covering letter to careers@luminous-showtech.com