Mane Contract Services
Senior Production Engineer
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Senior Production Engineer | Defence Manufacturing & Industrialisation
Join a team delivering cutting-edge defence technology and play a key role in shaping the future of advanced manufacturing.
We're looking for an experienced Senior Production Engineer to lead the development and optimisation of production capabilities for complex defence-grade hardware systems. This is an exciting opportunity for a technically driven engineering professional who thrives in a highly regulated environment and enjoys influencing products from concept through to full-rate manufacture.
As a senior technical leader, you will work across engineering, operations, quality, and supply chain functions to ensure products are designed and manufactured for reliability, scalability, compliance, and performance.
What You'll Be Doing
- Lead the industrialisation of complex electro-mechanical products, ensuring robust and scalable manufacturing processes.
- Translate engineering designs into efficient production solutions, embedding Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) principles from the outset.
- Develop and optimise production workflows, tooling, fixtures, assembly methods, and test procedures.
- Drive New Product Introduction (NPI) activities from prototype through to full-rate production.
- Lead root cause investigations and implement effective corrective and preventive actions using structured problem-solving methodologies.
- Create and maintain manufacturing documentation including work instructions, process specifications, PFMEAs, and control plans.
- Ensure production readiness through equipment qualification, process validation, and capability assessments.
- Collaborate closely with design engineers to improve manufacturability, quality, and production efficiency.
- Manage CAPEX proposals and support investment appraisal through ROI analysis.
- Support supplier development, quality improvement initiatives, and technical issue resolution.
- Mentor and support engineering and production teams, helping develop best practices and workmanship standards.
- Champion continuous improvement initiatives focused on quality, productivity, reliability, and cost reduction.
- Maintain compliance with defence, safety, quality, and configuration management requirements.
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About You
You'll be a proactive and technically capable engineering professional with a passion for manufacturing excellence and continuous improvement.
Essential Experience & Qualifications
- Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing or Production Engineering (or equivalent experience)
- Demonstrable experience within defence, aerospace, automotive, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment
- Proven experience leading NPI activities and transitioning products from prototype to production
- Strong knowledge of DFMA principles and industrialisation strategies
- Experience manufacturing and integrating complex electro-mechanical systems, including PCBs and precision mechanical assemblies
- Working knowledge of relevant industry standards such as IPC and MIL-STD
- Strong root cause analysis and problem-solving skills using methodologies such as 8D, DMAIC, or 5 Why
- Experience delivering continuous improvement programmes focused on yield, quality, cost, and cycle time improvements
- Knowledge of 3D CAD systems and ability to review designs for manufacturability and tooling requirements
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
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Desirable Experience
- Automated test systems or production automation
- Configuration management and controlled documentation systems
- Team leadership, mentoring, or supervisory experience
- Supporting external audits and regulatory reviews
What We're Looking For
- Highly organised with strong attention to detail
- Resilient, adaptable, and proactive approach
- Strong team player with excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to work independently and make sound engineering decisions
- Committed to safety, quality, and operational excellence
Security Clearance
Due to the nature of the work, applicants must be eligible to obtain and maintain UK Security Clearance (SC). Successful candidates will be required to provide evidence of identity, employment history, and right to work in the UK.
Interested?
If you're an experienced Production Engineer looking to make a significant impact within a high-technology defence manufacturing environment, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply now or contact us for a confidential discussion.
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