Lead Manufacturing Engineer – Aerospace and Defence - West Midlands - Permanent - Attractive
A Lead Manufacturing Engineer is required to join an Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing and Engineering company at the forefront of aerospace forging, machining, and assembly, producing an extensive range of products and components. The successful Lead Manufacturing Engineer will be an experienced and proactive Manufacturing Engineer, and this critical role will focus on optimizing current manufacturing processes, improving product quality and production efficiency. The Lead Manufacturing Engineer will be supporting the successful industrialisation of New Product Introductions (NPI) into production and will lead the manufacturing engineering for one of the business units. The Lead Manufacturing Engineer will be working closely with cross-functional teams including design engineering, production, quality, and supply chain to ensure the manufacturing processes are stable, capable, and continuously improving to meet the high standards expected in the aerospace and defence industry.
The Lead Manufacturing Engineer Responsibilities will Include:
Lead the prioritisation & allocation of manufacturing engineering activities
Analyse, develop, and optimize manufacturing processes to maximize quality and efficiency
Drive strong process control and process capability across all manufacturing operations
Apply Lean Manufacturing and industrial engineering optimisation techniques
Lead and deliver continuous improvement initiatives targeting quality improvements
Support and execute the industrialisation of New Product Introductions (NPI)
Collaborate with design and development teams to ensure manufacturability and DFMA
Apply APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) to ensure product/process readiness
Lead the PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) to verify product designs
Identify, propose, and implement process improvement and technology upgrades
Troubleshoot and resolve production issues, applying structured root cause analysis (RCA)
Define, document, and maintain robust manufacturing process controls including (SOPs)
Develop and validate manufacturing tooling, jigs, fixtures, gauging, and other systems
Ensure all manufacturing activities comply with aerospace and defence quality standards
Support production teams by providing training on new processes, and operational practices
Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as yield, scrap, RFT, and throughput
Contribute to investment projects related to new capabilities, equipment modernisation, etc
The Lead Manufacturing Engineer - Qualifications Skills and Experience Required:
Demonstrable engineering team leadership experience in an industrial environment
Engineering experience with good understanding of the associated tools/techniques
Extensive practical experience in an industrial forging, machining, fabrication, or similar role
Degree or HND in Manufacturing/Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering, or similar
Strong understanding of process control and process capability
Experience with statistical tools to validate and monitor production stability
Demonstrated experience in leading continuous improvement initiatives focused on quality
Significant experience with APQP, PPAP, FMEA, and 8D/DMAIC problem-solving
Proficient in interpreting complex engineering drawings and GD&T
Experience with validation, PFMEA, control plans, and Statistical Process Control (SPC)
Lean Manufacturing and industrial optimisation and value stream mapping experience
Good working knowledge of aerospace quality standards (e.g., AS9100
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills
Strong communication and interpersonal skill and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
Experience with ERP systems and knowledge of forging, heat/surface treatments, machining
**Security Clearance (SC) may be required due to the nature of the products involved therefore only British and UK Candidates are Eligible**
If you have experience of Manufacturing Engineering within an Industrial and Manufacturing environment and you want to be considered, please apply today. If you have any questions about the Lead Manufacturing Engineer role, please contact Peter Heap at Jonathan Lee Recruitment on (phone number removed) or send suitable CV's to
Your CV will be forwarded to Jonathan Lee Recruitment, a leading engineering and manufacturing recruitment consultancy established in 1978. The services advertised by Jonathan Lee Recruitment are those of an Employment Agency.
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