Beagle Aircraft
Head of Engineering
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Lead Engineering in a Growing Aerospace Manufacturing Business!
Beagle Aircraft is looking for an experienced Head of Engineering to lead our multidisciplinary Engineering function at our Christchurch site.
Reporting to the Site Director / Managing Director, you’ll provide leadership across Manufacturing Engineering, NPI & Programmes, CNC Programming, Estimating and Design/Technical Authority, ensuring Engineering delivers the capability, processes and technical direction needed to support our customers and future growth. This is a senior, hands-on leadership opportunity for someone who understands complex aerospace manufacturing and enjoys being close to the operation—not managing Engineering purely from behind a desk.
The Role
You’ll lead the Engineering function from RFQ and New Product Introduction through industrialisation and rate production, working closely with Production, Quality, Commercial and Supply Chain. You’ll be responsible for developing Engineering capability, improving manufacturing performance, resolving technical challenges and ensuring new programmes are introduced effectively.
What We Offer
- Competitive senior-level salary
- Competitive annual leave days plus Bank Holidays
- Company pension
- Private Healthcare benefits
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
- Holiday Purchase Scheme
- Birthday Leave
- Long service awards
- Free onsite parking
- Career development opportunities
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What You’ll Be Doing
- Lead the Engineering function across Manufacturing Engineering, NPI, CNC Programming, Estimating and Technical Authority.
- Develop Engineering priorities, capability plans and technology improvements aligned with business requirements.
- Lead Engineering activity from RFQ and NPI through First Article, industrialisation and rate production.
- Drive improvements in manufacturing methods, cycle times, cost, scrap, rework and process capability.
- Provide senior technical leadership to resolve Engineering issues affecting production, quality and customer delivery.
- Support compliance with AS9100, AS9102 and customer-specific requirements.
- Provide technical input into RFQs, estimates, quotations and major customer programmes.
- Develop Engineering managers and technical teams, strengthening capability and succession across the function.
About You
We’re looking for an established Engineering leader with experience in aerospace, defence or another complex regulated manufacturing environment. You’ll ideally bring:
- Significant Engineering leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
- Experience at Head of Engineering, Engineering Manager or equivalent senior leadership level.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary Engineering teams.
- Strong knowledge of Manufacturing Engineering, NPI and industrialisation.
- A track record of taking new products or programmes into stable production.
- Strong understanding of complex precision manufacturing processes.
- Experience developing manufacturing capability and supporting CAPEX investment.
- Strong commercial awareness and the ability to work effectively with customers and senior stakeholders.
- An Engineering degree, HND or equivalent depth of practical Engineering experience.
- Knowledge across areas such as metallics, sheet metal, welding, aerospace assembly, CNC machining, multi-axis programming, composites, GD&T and ERP/MRP would be highly advantageous.
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Why Join Beagle Aircraft?
This is an opportunity to take ownership of a broad Engineering function and make a visible impact on how we deliver complex aerospace manufacturing programmes. You’ll have the opportunity to shape Engineering capability, develop people, improve manufacturing performance and work directly with senior leadership and customers as the business continues to develop.
We’re particularly interested in Engineering leaders who combine strong technical knowledge with practical shop-floor understanding, commercial awareness and the ability to build and develop high-performing teams.
If you’re currently a Head of Engineering, Engineering Manager, Manufacturing Engineering Manager or senior aerospace Engineering leader ready for your next challenge, we’d like to hear from you.
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