Manufacturing Engineer

Our client, a leading organisation within the defence and aerospace sector, is looking to appoint a Manufacturing Engineer to join a major military aircraft programme supporting the delivery of one of the UK''s most advanced airborne surveillance platforms.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Manufacturing Engineer to work at the heart of a complex engineering environment, supporting production, driving process improvements, and helping deliver cutting-edge defence capability.

Working within a highly skilled, multidisciplinary engineering team, you''ll play a key role in translating engineering designs into efficient, compliant manufacturing processes while supporting production throughout the product lifecycle.

As a Manufacturing Engineer, you''ll act as the interface between engineering and production, ensuring manufacturing requirements are successfully integrated into programme delivery. You''ll develop manufacturing plans, create technical work instructions, resolve production challenges, and drive continuous improvement across the manufacturing environment.

This role offers exposure to advanced aerospace manufacturing, Lean methodologies, and the opportunity to influence production processes from initial planning through to aircraft delivery.

• Develop and maintain detailed manufacturing plans and production work instructions in line with engineering, regulatory and customer requirements.
• Interpret engineering drawings, technical data and maintenance documentation to create clear and effective manufacturing documentation.
• Produce and manage complex electronic manufacturing work packages.
• Maintain configuration control of manufacturing documentation, work orders and engineering baselines.
• Manage technical queries from the production team, coordinating responses with engineering and reporting on performance metrics.
• Work closely with Integrated Product Teams (IPTs) to support manufacturing integration across the programme.
• Support the development and implementation of manufacturing processes, tooling strategies and production methodologies.
• Investigate and resolve manufacturing and production issues using structured problem-solving techniques.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, Lean Manufacturing activities and process optimisation.
• Collaborate with suppliers, engineering teams and production personnel to improve manufacturing performance and programme delivery.

We''re looking for a proactive Manufacturing Engineer who enjoys working in a fast-paced production environment and is passionate about delivering high-quality engineering solutions.

You''ll ideally have:

• Bachelor''s degree in an Engineering discipline.
• Experience within a manufacturing or production engineering environment.
• Knowledge of manufacturing planning, production engineering or assembly integration.
• Experience conducting Root Cause Analysis and implementing corrective actions.
• Strong problem-solving and continuous improvement skills.
• Experience working alongside production teams and shop floor personnel.
• Knowledge of ERP/MRP systems such as SAP, GoldESP or MESCi would be advantageous.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Good Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel and Word.
• Aircraft systems knowledge is desirable but not essential.

• Work on one of the UK''s flagship defence aerospace programmes.
• Be part of a highly experienced engineering and manufacturing team.
• Opportunity to work with advanced aerospace technologies and complex engineering challenges.

Due to the nature of the work, applicants must be eligible to obtain the appropriate UK security clearance.

If you''re a Manufacturing Engineer looking to develop your career on a prestigious aerospace and defence programme, we''d love to hear from you. Apply today or get in touch for a confidential discussion.